Supporters could have died in crowd trouble which marred an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, the Ghana FA president has told the BBC.
"We're lucky we haven't lost any lives, though people have sustained injuries arising from objects thrown at them," said Ghana FA chief Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Play was halted for 30 minutes as home fans rioted at Malabo Stadium where Ghana beat hosts Equatorial Guinea 3-0.
Police used tear gas as bottles and stones were thrown by home supporters.
A large group of Ghana fans among the 15,250 crowd sought safety behind a goal, while unruly fans threw objects at a police helicopter which hovered over Malabo Stadium.
A police helicopter hovers over the stadium
He told BBC World Service: "African football has grown beyond this level and in the 21st century we expect to see more decency in the behaviour of fans.
"A high-profile game of this nature should have attracted police, intelligence officers and military.
"I couldn't have counted 50 policemen at the stadium, the rest were from Angola, who were not familiar with the terrain, so they didn't know how to handle the situation. So the Ghanaian fans were left at the mercy of these violent fans. "
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) refused to take questions about the crowd trouble after the match.
Emilio Nsue, captain of Equatorial Guinea, said: "Regarding the public and the way they acted, I've never experienced that. I'd like to say sorry. It was something we've never experienced before." The Ghana FA said it was "like a war zone" and Nyantakyi described the conduct of some Equatorial Guinea supporters as "the highest state of barbarism".
He told BBC World Service: "African football has grown beyond this level and in the 21st century we expect to see more decency in the behaviour of fans.
"A high-profile game of this nature should have attracted police, intelligence officers and military.
"I couldn't have counted 50 policemen at the stadium, the rest were from Angola, who were not familiar with the terrain, so they didn't know how to handle the situation. So the Ghanaian fans were left at the mercy of these violent fans. "
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) refused to take questions about the crowd trouble after the match.
Emilio Nsue, captain of Equatorial Guinea, said: "Regarding the public and the way they acted, I've never experienced that. I'd like to say sorry. It was something we've never experienced before."
BBC reports
A spectator is carried off the pitch after trying to attack the referee
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