Accra, July 21 (IANS) The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has condemned the vile racist abuse on Ghana international midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong during a recent league match in Russia, media reported.
The racist and discriminatory incident, which took place last Friday night, was apparently perpetrated by some Spartak Moscow supporters who directed monkey noises at Frimpong who plays for FC UFA, Xinhua news agency reported.
Frimpong, former Arsenal player, was sent off after he gestured to the crowd with his middle finger in response to the monkey chants.
In a statement issued in Accra, the GFA said while it does not condone Frimpong’s reaction to the racist abuse he suffered, it beats its imagination that his club UFA criticized the Ghanaian player without condemning the Spartak Moscow supporters who provoked him with this despicable racist.
It said the act of singling out Frimpong for criticism, when he was clearly provoked by these monkey chants while the perpetrators of the act have been let off, indelibly stain football’s tenets and principles abuse.
It called on the Russian Football Association, UEFA and FIFA to investigate the incident further and the culprits brought to justice as soon as possible since it is in their remit to act.
“The GFA wants the football authorities to act by sending a strong signal to the racists who abused Frimpong on Friday that there is no complacency about dealing with the scourge of racism in football across the globe.
“The fight against racism and discrimination in football is taking root and it cannot be turned back by the nonchalance of those football authorities who are not keen on rooting out this evil that shames our game and human dignity,” the GFA said.