(L-R) Gianni Infantino, Kurt Okraku and Richard Masters
The Ghana Football Association has released a statement in solidarity with Black Stars forward, Antoine Semenyo, who suffered racial abuse at the hands of a Liverpool supporter on the opening day of the 2025/2026 Premier League.
Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 4-2 on Friday, August 15, 2025, but their victory was marred by their supporter who decided to racially abuse the Ghanaian striker 30 minutes into the game.
The Black Stars forward, who was preparing for a throw-in, was racially abused by a Liverpool supporter, leading to the temporal suspension of the game by the referee.
Reacting to the distasteful incident, the GFA condemned the act, while commending Semenyo who scored two goals on the night for showing strength in the face of provocation.
“We stand firmly with our Black Stars forward, Antoine Semenyo, following the racial abuse he suffered at Anfield.
“In the face of provocation, Antoine showed strength, grace, and unity. On the pitch, he scored twice; off it, he reminded us of what football truly represents — respect, solidarity, and love for the beautiful game. We are proud of you, Antoine. We stand with you,” the statement from the Ghana Football Association read.
🚨 Statement from the GFA 🚨
We stand firmly with our Black Stars forward, Antoine Semenyo, following the racial abuse he suffered at Anfield.
In the face of provocation, Antoine showed strength, grace, and unity. On the pitch, he scored twice; off it, he reminded us of what… pic.twitter.com/qFfp6MFuGk
— 🇬🇠Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) August 17, 2025
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, also condemned the act and stressed that racism or any form of discrimination has no place in football.
“Everyone at FIFA, The Players’ Voice Panel, and the entire football community stands firmly with Antoine.
“We will continue to offer our full support to him, to Bournemouth, the Premier League, and The FA. Strong deterrents must be in place, and meaningful action must follow, to eliminate racism and discrimination from our game,” Infantino said.
Liverpool Captain, Virgil van Dijk, also condemned the racial abuse aimed at Antoine Semenyo and offered support to the striker.
CEO of the Premier League, Richard Masters, also added that; “No Premier League footballer should ever have to, in their workplace or online, suffer that sort of abuse. It is important that we keep saying that.
“It is a problem for society. It leaks into football, and it shouldn’t happen in a football stadium. It shouldn’t happen online.”
He made the comments in an interview with the BBC.
JE/AE
Watch the key highlights from the 2025 GFA Ordinary Congress
