Malabo , Equatorial Guinea ( CNN ) In front of me was utter chaos -- angry , screaming fans . But there were scared , scurrying fans , too . Above a helicopter hovered over the Estadio de Malabo , the venue of Thursday 's Africa Cup of Nations semifinal between Equatorial Guinea and Ghana . For about 12 hours before the game kicked off , that dark blue and yellow chopper had been pacing the skies around the stadium , as if it had a premonition as to what would happen that night . `` I 've never played in front of anything like that and I 'd like to say sorry on behalf of my team . It was an odd experience -- one I 've never felt before , '' said Equatorial Guinea star Emilio Nsue after his team lost 3-0 . The host nation 's fans started the match with hopes of Equatorial Guinea making its first ever AFCON final , before they started grumbling when decisions did n't go their way . Meltdown then ensued . Ahead of kick off the mood had been one of optimism . Earlier the country 's state owned Television GE had taken calls on its build up show and every one of the 35 callers had predicted a 2-0 win or more for Equatorial Guinea.. That might partly explain why the home fans became so angry . The weird . Ghana 's third goal -- scored by captain Andre Ayew -- was the cue for the missile throwing and pelting to intensify . But amid the madness , there was also humanity . `` We shall protect you , '' said Bruno Ekedo , a middle-aged man clad in the red jersey of the Nzalang Nacional , as the home team are affectionately called . `` If they try to come near you we will hit them with this , '' he said with a grunt as he lifted a metal barricade with POLICIA emblazoned on it , before adding that he was disgusted by the `` stupidity of some of the fans . '' Equatorial Guinea was the first AFCON host nation to reach the semifinals since Ghana did it in 2008 and perhaps there was a sense that a final appearance on Sunday was preordained . `` But that does not give you the right to beat people who have come to play good football , does it ? '' said an exasperated Ekedo , as he tried to call the attention of the police to two men in the crowd shaking their fists and making menacing gestures at the Ghanaian journalists in the press box . Then the smoke bombs and tear gas started flying , with the Ghana Football Association characterizing the scenes as a `` like a war zone . '' Going outside . Ekedo was n't the only local to make it their business to help out . `` There were four guys from the street who just saw my friends and I and decided to help us , '' said Selina Opare , sporting a cut to her left eye from a rock thrown at her group of girls wearing bright Ghana-themed dresses . `` They made us take off our dresses and they gave us their shirts . We wore their Equatorial Guinea jerseys and they walked on the road bare chested so we were able to get back to the Ghana Embassy safely . '' While the Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi called the actions of fans `` barbaric '' and `` uncivilized , '' he also acknowledged the efforts of the `` very few good men who opted to help us . '' VIDEO : . See the chopper flying literally above the stands . This one na movie oh ! # afcon2015 pic.twitter.com/0NW3XFBNHV . Disappointment and then ... hope . Returning to my hotel I found it filled with people from the stadium who could n't go home because of the chaotic nature of the streets . As I was going back to my room , a familiar face walked in . `` Mi amigo ! '' It was Ekedo , who was volunteering to help with the transportation needs of any stranded Ghanaian fans . Equatorial Guinea can expect some unfavorable headlines in the coming days and weeks , but the unheralded helpers show that African football -- and Africa -- is not all that bad .
Thursday 's Africa Cup of Nations was overshadowed by violence in the stadium . Hosts Equatorial Guinea were beaten 3 - 0 by Ghana , prompting angry fans . Ghana will play Ivory Coast in Sunday 's final .