'Was Called African Monkey': Ivory Coast Footballer Thrashed By Crowd In Kerala's Malappuram. VIDEO

The footballer was beaten up by hundreds of people during a live football match in Karala's northern district of Areekode, as seen in the video. 

Footballer Thrashed By Crowd In Kerala's Malappuram (Screenshot From Viral Video)

Source : X/@HateDetectors

During a live football match in Malappuram, Kerala, a mob of spectators turned against an Ivory Coast player. The footballer allegedly fled for his life in the dramatic escape captured on video. He was beaten up by hundreds of people during a live football match at Areekode, as seen in the video. 

Reports say that aside from the assault, the mob continued to abuse him throughout the game racially. The video of the mob assaulting the football player has gone viral on social media. 

Take A Look At The Viral Video Here: 

A #Footballer from #IvoryCoast has alleged that he was subjected to a mob attack and racial slurs at a #Football ground in #Kerala’s #Malappuram district.#DairrassoubaHassaneJunior, in his complaint to the local police, said he was stoned to the ground and assaulted by a group… pic.twitter.com/YyNvh5IQU2

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) March 13, 2024

Several people began sharing the alleged footage, which shows the player surrounded by locals who claim he misbehaved with them. The authorities did not reveal the African football player's identity. 

Media reports indicate that some spectators mocked and racially abused him by calling him 'African monkey' and 'black cat'.

According to a report by the Economic Times, someone allegedly even threw a stone at him. Enraged, the footballer retaliated by kicking one of them, inciting the spectators, who subsequently chased and attacked him.

"To save my life, I ran away. The opposing team's supporters hurled stones at me. They smacked me brutally. "I escaped after supporters of my team intervened and stopped them," the footballer allegedly stated in his complaint.

Complaint Filed: 

However, the incident elicited widespread outrage online. Police reacted quickly after video footage of the match began to circulate on social media. According to a report by news agency PTI, the Kerala Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The player reported the incident in an official statement to the police. Kerala Police have filed a FIR against the unidentified mob, as reported by PTI. 

An officer of Areekode police station told PTI that the player's statement had been recorded, which took some time due to language issues. "An FIR under various sections, including 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race) of the IPC has been registered today," the report said, citing an official. 

As per the PTI report, the crowd claimed that the player began to misbehave with the spectators during the match, prompting them to take the law into their own hands.

As the police investigation continues, few details about the case have been released to the public. It is unclear whether anyone was arrested following the assault on the Ivory Coast footballer, which went viral on Thursday.