Blatter and Hayatou slam western media over AFCoN violence

According to eye witnesses the security situation was sufficiently dire that a helicopter was deployed to hover low over the stadium and scatter the rioting fans.

There were reports of further riots in the streets around the stadium. Several Ghanaian supporters were also injured during the violence. One Ghanaian football official described the scene as being like a “warzone.”

Chaos

“In front of me was utter chaos — angry, screaming fans. But there were scared, scurrying fans, too,” recalled Gary Al Smith, a Ghanaian football journalist who was in the stadium at the time.

“I’ve never played in front of anything like that and I’d like to say sorry on behalf of my team,” said Equatorial Guinea’s star player Emilio Nsue after the match was restarted and his team had lost 3-0.

In the end the match took place under tight security with barely 500 supporters in the stadium. All eyes will now be on Sunday’s showpiece final, which will again take place in Bata.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the event have reacted incredulously to Hayatou and Blatter’s remarks.

.”Blatter’s got me bang to rights,” tweeted British football journalist Jonathan Wilson.

“I for one am ashamed I reported the trouble I witnessed in Malabo rather than seeking a marrying princess.”

CNN