Equatorial Guinea were knocked out of the AFCON on Thursday and the fans did what was common with bitter Nigerian soccer fans or better put any bitter, unintelligent soccer fan in the world, they started to vent their anger on the players who 'dared' to defeat them.
The home fans, who saw their team thoroughly and probably deserving beaten, threw bottles at the Ghanian players and their fans, inviting the interference of the security personnel. The whole situation ate up thirty minutes of the game as police had to use tear gas and an helicopter to stop the maddening scenes. Consequently, play resumed, but with Guinea been soundly beaten.
It has been condemned by the Ghana FA and i suspect the LOC of AFCON will condemn it as well, part of what I like to call 'positive noises', but the question I will like to ask is, when will African soccer fans learn to be gallant losers?
We know how it feels to lose badly when expectations are high, but seriously we have to grow beyond this 'violent' way of demonstrating our anger. Its not only Equatorial Guinea mind you, am sure most African soccer fans will do the same in their shoes. We see these incidences in our local leagues; especially those from West and Central Africa. There are also incidences in Europe, so its not entirely an African thing, but the intensity and 'regularity' it occurs in Africa is astounding.
The fact is that we can't continue like this, and while stadium bans and competition bans are useful in these situations, it seems like the best thing is to enlighten the fans about what they are doing. Its wrong, no matter what happens on the pitch, to constitute such nuisance in the stadium. They must learn that.
An advice to African soccer fans; If you know that defeat pains you easily, then don't come to the pitch expecting anything specific, just come to enjoy the game. That's the best way to enjoy African soccer.
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