Berekum Chelsea tragedy returns to the forefront.. Sharp questions surround the Ghana FA over promises to secure club buses

Where has the plan to protect travelling Ghanaian club delegations reached?

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Berekum Chelsea tragedy returns to the forefront.. Sharp questions surround the Ghana FA over promises to secure club buses

Seven months after Ghanaian footballer Dominic Frimpong was killed in an armed attack on Berekum Chelsea's team bus, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) faces renewed questions over whether the security improvements promised following the tragedy have been fully implemented.

The 20 year old lost his life on 12 April 2026 when armed robbers attacked Berekum Chelsea's bus as the team returned from a Ghana Premier League fixture against Samartex in Samreboi.

The tragedy prompted immediate commitments from football authorities and police, including a directive requiring armed escorts for travelling Premier League clubs.

However, while the security order was publicly announced, there is still no independently verified nationwide assessment establishing whether every club now receives the promised protection.

Two armed officers per team.. What did Ghana promise?

On 13 April, the Ghana Football Association pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to review and strengthen security arrangements for clubs travelling to domestic matches.

The commitment was followed by a more specific intervention.

On 16 April, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Inspector-General of Police had instructed regional and district commanders to assign at least two armed officers to accompany Premier League teams travelling within their jurisdictions.

The order represented a concrete response to the tragedy.

Police also reported arrests during their investigation into the attack.

BREAKING: Berekum Chelsea player Dominic Frimpong confirmed dead after being shot in the head by armed robbers. https://t.co/2gej2iXgOT
— Max Dowman’s Father (@Oscarnuwati) April 13, 2026

What has changed since Frimpong's death?

The GFA subsequently continued its work on football security, announcing a safety seminar for Premier League clubs ahead of the 2026 /27 season.

The August initiative focused on matchday organisation, crowd management, risk prevention and compliance with existing safety regulations.

However, those measures primarily concerned security at football venues.

The central problem exposed by Frimpong's death was different, protecting players and officials during long distance journeys between matches.

Berekum Chelsea's management had acknowledged that the team was travelling without a police escort on the night of the attack.

The club also explained that police protection had not always been available during previous journeys.

The publicly available updates reviewed for this report do not establish how many clubs have received escorts, whether protection is maintained across regional boundaries, or whether compliance is systematically monitored.

I believe Berekum Chelsea used my son as a sacrifice in their fight to avoid relegation. Even if they offer you GH₵30 billion, don’t allow your son to go and play for Berekum Chelsea - Father of the late Berekum Chelsea player, Dominic Frimpong, Mr. Nana Frimpong via Fakye TV #GTVSports
— GTVSports+ (@mygtvsports) October 8, 2026

A tragedy Ghanaian football cannot afford to forget

Frimpong's death was not Ghanaian football's first warning about the dangers of travelling to domestic matches.

Legon Cities had previously reported an armed attack on their team bus in 2023 while other clubs have experienced security incidents during away journeys.

This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our Editorial Policy .

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.