Ghana boss Avram Grant has admitted that he feared for his players' safety as violent scenes marred his team's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against hosts Equatorial Guinea.

Play was suspended for 30 minutes when sections of the home crowd hurled missiles at the Ghana supporters, forcing them to seek refuge on the pitch.

"It's the first time I've played in this tournament," Grant told reporters. "I didn't know what was happening. I saw something on the pitch, some incident or violence.

"I can't say I wasn't concerned, I care about the security of my players, it's very important to me."

Riot police and a helicopter were deployed in an attempt to quell the violence before the match resumed.

Ghana won the game 3-0 and will face the Ivory Coast in the final.