We’ll not defend any supporter who engages in violence-Nsoatreman FC

By Dennis Peprah

Sunyani, (Bono), Feb. 03, GNA – Mr Joel Kofi Gyempeh, the Communications Director of Nsoatreman Football Club (FC), on Monday said club is strongly against and detest acts of violence, urging supporters to be wary and refrain from football hooliganism.

“The club will not be in any position to defend or protect any supporter who engages in football violence, but will rather allow the law to work,” he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) sport in an interview.

He was reacting to the death of the supporter of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC, identified as Francis Yaw Frimpong also known as ‘Pooley’ who was allegedly stabbed during the ‘Day 19’ premier league encounter between the two clubs.

The GNA sports learnt that the sad incident happened on Sunday February 2, 2025, following a misunderstanding between some supporters of the two clubs after the match held at the Professor Amoah Koromansah II stadium at Twumasikrom, near Nsoatre in the Sunyani West Municipality.

Mr Gyempeh called on the police to be expeditious with their investigations into the crime, saying the club was ever ready to aid all investigations for the perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law.

Meanwhile, the management of the club had since condemned the incident and expressed sympathy to the football fraternity, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, and the deceased family.

In a statement issued, the club said, “we have been informed that an argument had earlier happened between the deceased and the culprit at a nearby drinking spot that later brought up this stabbing incident behind the stadium”.

“The altercation degenerated into fisticuffs leading to a stabbing of the deceased,” a copy of the statement made available to the GNA sport indicated, saying “Nsoatreman FC wishes to categorically condemn this act of violence in no uncertain terms”.

“The game of football is not war, and as such anyone who visits any stadium anywhere in this country must feel safe, and indeed must be safe throughout the proceedings of the game”, it stated, adding “Nsoatreman FC will fully cooperate with the Ghana Police Service and the GFA to ensure that the perpetrator of this crime is brought to justice”.

It urged stakeholders to exercise restraint and support the relevant authorities, as they conducted a thorough investigation “into the rather regrettable incident”.

GNA