A Ghanaian soccer player has died after suspected armed robbers opened fire on a team bus in a shocking attack.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Dominic Frimpong sustained gunshot wounds and later died as his team, Berekum Chelsea, traveled back from a league match on Sunday.
Authorities have launched a manhunt for those responsible.
Soccer Player Shot Dead After Gunmen Ambush Team Bus
The club confirmed that "masked men wielding guns and assault rifles" ambushed the team bus. The men blocked the road as players and staff made their way home.
According to the BBC, Berekum Chelsea had just played Samartex in Samreboi, roughly 270km from Berekum.
The team lost the match 1-0 before beginning the journey back.
Officials say around 30 players and staff members were on board when six armed men launched the attack.
Panic quickly spread as gunfire erupted, leaving Frimpong fatally wounded.
Reports claim that staff and players fled the vehicle, but Frimpong was "struck in the head".
The regional police command has "deployed additional personnel and crime scene experts to the area". They add that the "perpetrators will be arrested within the shortest possible time."
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed it remains in close contact with both the club and authorities. The association stresses that "all necessary measures" will be taken to ensure those responsible face justice.
Tributes Pour In as Safety Concerns Grow
The GFA paid tribute to Frimpong following his death, expressing "profound shock and deep sorrow."
They described the 20-year-old as a "promising young talent whose dedication and passion for the game embodied the spirit of our league".
The tragedy has also reignited concerns around safety in Ghanaian football.
According to African soccer journalist Saddick Adams, the attack marks the fifth armed robbery targeting league clubs in "recent times."
The BBC reports that FC Savannah, Wa All Stars, Legon Cities, and AshantiGold have all experienced "similar attacks" in recent years.
"If the lives of the people or the key architect of the game cannot be protected then it is not worth playing the game," Ghanaian sports journalist Muftawu Abdulai said.
Abdulai added that the mood across the country is one of "shock and disappointment," with fans increasingly questioning whether it is "safe to travel and play league matches."
Frimpong had been playing for Berekum Chelsea on loan from Aduana FC at the time of his tragic death.
