Hearts-Kotoko Deadlock - Refereeing, Spectatoring Mar Game

Ghana football was again given a black eye yesterday when refereeing mistake and a spontaneous violent reaction by fans marred the crunch league match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko that ended 1-1 at the Accra Stadium. Not only did the ill-tempered match fail to live to the pre-match hype, but also it left behind wanton destruction and injuries, with Hearts fans cursing referee Essel Walker for what they perceived as giving Kotoko an undeserved equaliser. Essel-Walker’s failure to disallow Kotoko’s equalising goal for an apparent foul on Hearts’ goalkeeper Eben Dida seconds earlier, ignited a violent reaction by Hearts’ fans at the May 9 Stand while the game was held up for several minutes as the home team protested. Dida suffered a mild concussion and could not continue the game, and was stretchered off to be replaced by Sani Alhassan. Angered by the 59th minute incident, Hearts fans ripped several plastic chairs at the May 9 Stand and hurled them onto the tartan tracks. The heavy security detail did not deter fans in that charged atmosphere; the riot police under the command of Assistant Commissioner, Kofi Boakye, were very tactful in a bid to avoid the recurrence of the May 9 disaster and therefore had a hectic time restoring calm. In other sections of the stands there were several flashpoints of violence, with irate fans of both clubs engaged in missile throwing at the least provocation and perception of injustice. Yesterday’s game had a lot at stake. The two sides were in a neck-and-neck race for the premier league title and this further heightened the tension before, during and after the match. The much-feared Charles Taylor threat was non-existent as the gifted player’s terror deserted him. At certain stages Kotoko’s coach Abdul Razak looked a nervous wreck and once vented his anger on his own defender Godfred Yeboah when the tension seemed too much to bear. Hearts settled down much earlier and looked more dangerous in attack where Lawrence Adjei, Bernard Dong-Bortey and Ablade Morgan gave their markers a hectic time. Hearts’ response looked more dangerous and in the 26th minute Dong-Bortey punished the jittery Kotoko defence who failed to clear the ball, leaving the blond-haired striker to tap in the opening goal. For several minutes thereafter Kotoko lived dangerously and only threatened Hearts’ goalmouth with sporadic counter-attacks. Just before half-time ‘hatchet man’ Hendricks played it tough on Morgan until he was stretchered off in the 43rd minute after a second foul on the striker. Moments before half-time Taylor nearly silenced his former club in a one-on-one scoring chance with Dida, but the goalie lunged his body into the path of the goal-bound shot. Disaster struck in the 59th minute when Dida collided with a Kotoko striker in the six-yard box as he grabbed Oduro’s free kick and in the process fell down injured, lost the ball for Yusif Chibsah to fire home to save his side’s blushes.
The incident happened under the full glare of Referee Walker and so Hearts players expected an infringement in their favour. Instead of a foul, the referee looked in the direction of assistant referee II Nicholas Djomoah for confirmation, but he kept his flag down and ran towards the centre line. Djomoah’s reaction compelled Walker to point to the centre circle to indicate a clean equaliser.
Hearts players and officials protested in vain and after several minutes of hold-up the club’s chief executive, Mr Thomas Okine, urged the players to resume play before the game restarted.
Hell broke loose thereafter both on the field and in the stands. Rough tackles were the order of the day as well as fighting among rival fans at the least provocation.