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| President of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick |
ABUJA, March 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria is facing sanctions from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after fans invaded the Moshood Abiola Stadium pitch following the 1-1 draw with Ghana on Tuesday.
The result ultimately meant the Super Eagles will miss out on the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
The Super Eagles missed out on the World Cup in Qatar on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw at the Abuja stadium. The first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi ended in a goalless draw.
Irate fans attacked players of both teams, officials, destroying properties and equipment in the protest.
The invasion left a CAF official Dr Joseph Kabungo from Zambia dead.
The substitute bench was smashed and overturned by fans who called for the removal of Amaju Pinnick, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“Pinnick must go! Pinnick must go!!” the mob demanded, while some criticised Eagles’ coach, Augustine Eguavoen.
The Police were forced to fire several rounds of tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.
FIFA and CAF frown at violence and crowd trouble in stadiums and might fine Nigeria or impose a stadium ban.
As Nigerians heal from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup in Qatar following the bad result at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, fans have shared their thoughts on the way forward for the side.
One fan who has expressly spoken about his disappointment in the painful loss is Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. The die-hard soccer fan in a Facebook post after the team was eliminated suggested an overhaul in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said Nigerians have exercised patience with the NFF’s incompetence for the past five years.
He called on the President Buhari-led administration to sack the organisation and replace it with “a more tactical management.”
“The federal government and Nigerians have supported the NFF beyond measures and since they can’t give us the needed result, they should be sacked for better and more tactical management.” — NNN-AGENCIES
