Nigeria Vs Ghana: With every passing day, the Nigerian Football Federation is finding itself enveloped in all sorts of trouble. After failing to qualify for the World Cup on the back of a rather underwhelming Qualifying campaign, in which they were touted to be favourites to take that flight to Qatar, they came a cropper after drawing 1-1 against Ghana, which ensured that the Black Stars qualify for the World Cup by virtue of the away goals rule as the first leg ended in a goalless draw.
To make matters worse, the die-hard Nigerian fans could not fathom what happened in their own backyard, and resorted to violence, storming the pitch and attacking anyone and everyone they got their hands on. The Ghanaian fans and players had to run for their lives as the Nigerian fans were baying for blood.
Things Just Got Out Of Hand Post The Result Of The Nigeria Vs Ghana Game And It Was Not A Pleasant Sight At All
One of the Ghanaian fans said that they had to change their jerseys and other paraphernalia. It was just so that they could get out of the stadium safely. The stampede was so bad that it resulted in the death of a CAF official. It was sad to see that this had actually happened. That too, in a sport that loves to showcase empathy and sportsmanship right through.
Dr. Joseph Kabungo, who was serving as a doping doctor, was trampled upon by unhappy Nigerian fans and lost consciousness, after which he was not able to regain consciousness. It is unclear as of yet if there are more casualties or not.
To make matters worse, one journalist noted that the VAR device that was used to officiate the game between the two sides was reported to be stolen, casting further doubt and embarrassment upon the Nigerian Federation and the number of security measures that were in place.
Hopefully, Common Sense Prevails In The Future And No One Was Too Severely Hurt By The Incidents That Followed
According to Fentuo Tahiru of Citi TV, he was present when he spotted that the VAR device was missing from its original spot. The VAR device was at the forefront in this fixture. It was VAR that intervened to give the penalty. The same one that resulted in the Nigerian equalizer, as well as the goal that was disallowed. This was scored by Victor Osimhen to give Nigeria the lead. Nigeria Vs Ghana ended with the crowds going berserk.
The Nigerian Federation is bound to face a huge number of
sanctions and fines from both the CAF as well as FIFA for the events that happened in Abuja. This type of behaviour from the fans is totally unacceptable. They are not going to the World Cup, which is a curse in itself.
However, this kind of reaction is totally uncalled for. The safety of the players and the fans is the moral responsibility of the boards of every country. The kind of irrational behaviour that has been showcased by the individuals post the match could have severely damaged property. To add to that, it could have hurt a lot of people. Luckily, most of the fans escaped without being too hurt, though some weren’t fortunate enough.
