Unruly scenes of police and other security officers in violent tussles with zealous and aggressive football fans, leaving many fans bloodied, marred the match between Liberia and Zimbabwe last Sunday that ended in a 1-1draw.

Police and a mixture of other security units, including members of the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Armed Forces of Liberia, etc., flogged several fans for allegedly attempting to forcibly enter the pitch, while fans accused police of sparking the violent encounter by duplicating tickets.

Contrary to police assessment, along with self-congratulatory claims of Liberia Football Association officials of a superbly organized event, chaos erupted on allegation of ticket fraud that enabled hostile and aggressive spectators to force their way into the stadium to watch the African Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifier match between Liberia Zimbabwe that ended 1-1.

As UNMIL soldiers quarantined the scenes and provided protective shields, police flogged several spectators who, in a stampede, broke the fences of the to enter. Some spectators claimed that police officers on duty sold out duplicated tickets, but the police denied the accusation, saying it was rather the Boy Scouts who sold the tickets.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that police flogged several fans, including some Boy Scouts members, and bundled them onto their pickups on allegation of selling duplicated tickets. But police spokesman George Bardue told journalists that no arrests were made at the stadium and added: "If there were any violence and arrest made on the scene it was done to contain the situation from spreading into sporadic violence".

A member of the Lone Star Mobilization committee, Mrs. Medina Wesseh, acknowledging reports of ticket duplication on a local radio station, said the committee decided to sell the ticket late in order to avoid fraud.

But unlike last year's match at the stadium between Liberia and Gambia in 2008, there were no fatalities this time. Officials said at the time that 10 persons died, many from suffocation following a stampede.

Ticket fraud at football matches are common here in a sports known for corruption.