May 02, (THEWILL) – Following a pitch invasion after the Super Eagles’ 1-1 tie with the Black Stars of Ghana in a 2022 World Cup playoff on March 29, the Nigeria Football Federation has been fined by FIFA.
As THEWILL reported, after the final whistle, enraged Super Eagles’ fans flooded the grounds at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, forcing police to use teargas to remove them.
There were several instances of vandalisms carried out by these pitch-invaders, which left some parts of the recently refurbished Stadium wrecked and advertising boards defaced as security forces struggled to restore order.
Some of the players from Ghana and Nigeria were assaulted with debris and forced to quickly make their way into the locker rooms before it escalated ominously.
Following an analysis of the official match report, Fifa announced on Monday that the Nigeria Football Federation had been fined 150,000 Swiss Francs (roughly N64m) for their rowdy behaviour at the stadium that day.
The Zurich-based world football governing body also mandated that the Super Eagles play one competitive encounter behind closed doors as part of the penalty for the breakdown of order.
A FIFA statement on the matter of the fine said: “Order and security at matches (failure to implement existing safety rules and failure to ensure that law and order are maintained in the stadium, invasion of the field of play and throwing of objects).”
Next month, the Super Eagles host Sierra Leone in the first match of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
