A female Ghanaian referee, Theresa Beremansu, was mercilessly beaten in a women’s league game in Sunyani for reportedly not adding enough injury time after the 90 minutes had expired.

The game was a Normalisation Committee Women’s Special Competition semi-final first leg encounter between Prisons Ladies and Ampem Darkoa Ladies at the Sunyani Army Park. Ampem Darkoa, the away side, won the game 1-0 courtesy a 48th-minute goal from Mavis Owusu.

But fans and players of the home side, Prisons Ladies, descended on the centre referee, Theresa Bremanso, apparently dissatisfied with the number of minutes allotted to injury time, beating her mercilessly and left her with several bruises to her face.

Eyewitnesses claim the security personnel assigned to the game, officials from the Ghana Prisons Service, and reported sympathisers of the home team, joined in the attacks, handing out a few slaps of their own before whisking her away from the angry mob.

The incident will serve as a major set back for the Normalisation Committee who are on a path to reform Ghana football since Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ documentary exposed monumental acts of corruption by Ghanaian football officials and referees.