Former Arsenal midfielder and Ghana international Emmanuel Frimpong is fearing for the African teams and supporters to travel to the 2018 World Cup after he was sent off in the Russian top-flight to reacting to racial abuse.
The Ghana international has apologised for using a foul-mouthed attack at the fan who racially abused him in the country that will host the World Cup in three years's time but lamented the decision to send him off with a prospect of a further ban in a country that condones racism.
Frimpong was on the wrong side of arguably one of the worst refereeing decisions of the season on Friday night as he was sent-off whilst playing for Russian outfit FC Ufa after reacting angrily to racial abuse.
On the opening day of the new Russian Premier League season Ufa were the visitors to Spartak Moscow and a group of home supporters targeted Frimpong with vile abuse.
However it was the midfielder who was ridiculously punished as he was shown a straight red card for reacting to the monkey chants that can clearly be heard in the video clip which can be seen below.
Frimpong, who plays in the Russian top-flight, fears that African teams and supporters could be subjected to this disgusting treatment when they travel for the World Cup.
"Racially abused for the game that I love fantastic result to draw with Spartak proud of team and I’m going to serve a sentence for being abused and yet we going to hold a World Cup in this country where Africans will have to come play football," Frimpong wrote.
Frimpong would take to social media after the game to apologise for getting sent-off and to address the situation via his official Twitter account.
First of want to apologize for the sending off after being provoked shouldn’t have happened but also am a human being shouldn’t be …
— I AM FRIMPONG (@IAMFRIMPONG26) July 17, 2015
Racially abused for the game that I love fantastic result to draw with Spartak proud of team and I’m going to serve a sentence for being … — I AM FRIMPONG (@IAMFRIMPONG26) July 17, 2015
Abused..and yet we going to hold a World Cup in this country where African will have to come play football I must stressed not all Spartak
— I AM FRIMPONG (@IAMFRIMPONG26) July 17, 2015
Fans done that only one person had to ruin it Spartak fans were brilliant and created a good atmosphere shame oneperson ruin it we live on.. — I AM FRIMPONG (@IAMFRIMPONG26) July 17, 2015
It’s not the first time that racial incidents have been reported in Russia following cases involving Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in particular during a Champions League group game against CSKA Moscow in 2013 [via Mirror Sport].
Meanwhile former Blackburn Rovers defender Christopher Samba was charged and then later banned for reacting to racial abuse whilst playing for Dynamo Moscow last year [via Guardian Sport and Sky Sports respectively].
With the 2018 World Cup set to be held in the country, where there is clearly a problem with racism, are FIFA regretting their decision to reward Russia with hosting such a prestigious event?