During Shenzhen FC’s 3-1 defeat to Henan Jianye in the Chinese Super League, Ghanaian winger Frank Acheampong was unfortunately subjected to racist abuse, leading to a distressing incident on the pitch.
The incident occurred in the 34th minute of the match at Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium, with Shenzhen trailing 2-1 at the time. Acheampong was targeted with racist insults by an opponent, which resulted in a heated altercation on the field.
Reacting to the discriminatory comments, Acheampong struck back at the player who had directed racial slurs towards him. As a consequence, the 29-year-old was shown a red card and subsequently sent off for violent conduct.
It is important to note that Acheampong has had an unblemished disciplinary record during his five-year tenure playing in China, but the racial abuse he faced was an unprecedented and unacceptable trigger for his outburst.
However, to the surprise of many, the Henan player who had instigated the racist incident was not punished for his actions, leaving the focus solely on Acheampong’s reaction.
Despite Shenzhen’s 3-1 defeat in the contentious match, all attention was centered on the controversial flashpoint involving their star winger, Frank Acheampong.
After the game, Acheampong spoke to Ghanasoccernet.com, confirming that he had indeed been racially abused. He expressed his feelings, saying, “I have been in China for the past five years and I love this country because China and the Chinese people are great. However it is unacceptable for any human to be subjected to racist insults let alone in the game of football.
‘I am normally a calm and level headed person but no one should accept any racist slurs or insults.”
Clearly upset and furious, Acheampong was already storming off the pitch before the referee brandished the red card. Despite efforts to calm him down or console him, he left the field visibly agitated, reflecting the gravity of the situation and the impact of racism in football.
Watch the incident below:
