SARAJEVO: A Bosnian league match between Celik Zenica and Sarajevo was help up for 20 minutes after fans clashed with riot police and committed racist offences on Saturday.

Video footage showed visiting Sarajevo fans fighting with police early in the second half, forcing officials to escort the players into the tunnel and briefly suspend play.

Bosnian media said the home supporters directed monkey chants at Sarajevo’s Nigerian forward Harmony Ikande, adding that rival fans had hurled flares at each other before the interruption.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Bosnian football has been rife with violence in recent years and several fixtures have been suspended or abandoned.