Masked gunmen attack Berekum Chelsea bus, player killed in Ghana road ambush

For lower-profile clubs travelling Ghana’s roads, Sunday’s ambush exposed how thin protection can be once the team bus leaves the stadium lights. A masked gang blocked Berekum Chelsea’s vehicle near Ahyiresu, opened fire as the driver tried to reverse, and killed 20-year-old Dominic Frimpong in an attack that has put policing and football security under fresh scrutiny.

The team was returning to Berekum after losing 1-0 to FC Samartex 1996 at Dun’s Park in Samreboi when the assault hit the Goaso-Bibiani road in the Ahafo Region. Police later identified the scene as the Ahyiresu-Kwame Dwumor Sreso road in the Nyinahin District and said the attack happened at about 10:30 p.m. The bus was carrying about 30 players and officials when armed men, described by officials as masked men wielding guns and assault rifles, forced it to stop.

According to club and media accounts, the attackers fired on the vehicle as the driver tried to reverse. Players and staff fled into nearby bushes to escape the gunfire. Berekum Chelsea said several players and officials were injured in the chaos, while police said another victim, George Owusu Afriyie, 52, was robbed of GHS 4,500 during the assault.

Frimpong, who was on loan from Aduana FC and joined Berekum Chelsea in January 2026, was struck by gunfire and reportedly suffered a head wound. He was rushed to Bibiani Government Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The winger and forward made 13 appearances and scored two goals for Berekum Chelsea, making his death a sharp blow to a side already shaken by the violence around its journey home.

The Ghana Police Service said it had deployed additional personnel and crime-scene experts to the area and launched a manhunt for the suspects. Police urged the public to remain calm while investigations continued, but the attack has already reopened hard questions about how teams are protected on the road, especially clubs without the resources to secure their own travel corridors.

The Ghana Football Association said it received the news with “profound shock and deep sorrow,” extended condolences to Frimpong’s family, teammates, technical staff and management, and said it would engage key stakeholders to review and strengthen security arrangements for clubs travelling for domestic competitions. The ambush also revived memories of a similar 2023 attack on Legon Cities’ team bus after a match at Samartex, a reminder that the risk to football travel in Ghana is not new, and not resolved.