|
 Opoku
Afriyie slams security arrangement at Dormaa
By David Kyei,
Dormaa
22:30GMT, 22-02-2010
Despite the
assurances by the Professional League Board (PLB) that the
Dormaa Park was to be protected by the security agencies for the
safety of Kotoko last Sunday, the team arrived at the match
venue to experience a treatment that would pass to be the club’s
worst this season.
The Kotoko team
was maltreated and mishandled by the rowdy cohorts at the park
who paraded the stadium as the club’s security and even went to
the extent of giving Team manager, Opoku Afriyie, a hefty slap
on the face.
Recounting his
ordeal to Kotoko Express after the match, the team manager says
he anticipated such a treatment right from the morning of the
match and so was only concerned about which form it would take.
“Per the match
programme and the convention of the PLB, pre-match technical
meetings for league matches are held at match venues at 11am on
match days. I went there 30minutes ahead of schedule hoping that
I could have a bit of rest before the programme”.
“When I got
there, the rowdy fans refused me entry until after some
20minutes after the 11am when Kofi Manu, a.k.a Blue Boy, arrived
at the stadium”.
“Though Blue Boy
apologised for the behaviour of their security, the tactics to
frustrate opponents continued till after the pre-match meeting.
Having done those things in the full glare of their bosses, I
realised that we were going to have difficulties when the main
team arrives”.
Indeed his fears
of rowdiness was confirmed when the team bus arrived for the
match with players aboard.
“We are all
witnesses to the fact that it took us over forty minutes before
we were allowed to enter the stadium minus the team bus”.
“As if that was
not an enough show of power by the home team, our attempt at
getting to the match officials to launch a protest over the
treatment, was fiercely resisted and in the process, I was
heavily slapped from behind”.
Despite suffering
of a physical attack, Opoku endeavoured to make his case before
the match commissioner and he was assured that appropriate
reports would be sent to PLB for action.,
At the other side
of the attacks, a staunch supporter of Kotoko was also being
manhandled.
Before kick off,
Isaac Amoako requested for a bottle of water and when the
equipment officer arrived at the pole side to deliver Amoako’s
water, he was pounced on like a common criminal
Kotoko Express
photographer, David Kyei, was also prevented from getting into
the inner Perimeter to be able to take photos,. He therefore
perch for all the period of the match sitting at it’s roof top
of a police pick-up.
It is in relation
to the above and many untold events against Kotoko that Opoku
Afriyie called for a review of the things they look out for
before granting centre the permission to host league matches.
“The pitch at
Dormaa looked okay so am sure the inspectors did not examine the
character of most of the people who come to the park to watch
matches”.
“Teams that have
visited the Dormaa Park have made several complaints about
intimidation and I hope that the authorities are not waiting for
something untoward to happen and for lives to be lost before
they act”
“The closeness of
Dormaa to the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border also makes the place a
hot bird for criminal activity and so there was the need to step
up protection. However, the opposite is the case”.
“I therefore want
to make a special appeal to the PLB to as soon and possible halt
the display of non-human tendencies at the Dormaa match venue”.
“What amazed me
was the fact that the Dormaa police personnel at the stadium
looked on sheepishly. All their actions were geared at watching
the football match instead of coming to the stadium to protect
live and property”. |
