Sports

Stadium Invasion: ‘FIFA’s N63.9m Fine Lesson for Nigeria’

Published

4 years ago

May 3, 2022

Eric

Ex-Internationals Christian Okpala and Ifeanyi Udeze say FIFA’s hammer on Nigeria would serve as a big lesson to the country in future.

FIFA fined Nigeria CHF150,000 (N63.9m) and also ordered the country to play its next international football match behind closed doors following crowd violence at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on March 29, during the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Ghana.

Government had thrown the stadium gates open as part of efforts to cheer the Eagles to victory, after the first leg of the final playoffs between the fierce rivals ended goalless in Kumasi four days earlier.

However, after the game, irate fans invaded the main bowl of the stadium, destroying everything in sight as Ghana advanced on the away goal rule following a 1-1 stalemate with the Eagles in Abuja.

The fans also vented their anger on the celebrating Black Stars players, pelting them with water bottles until they found a way out of the newly renovated pitch.

After chasing the Ghanaians off, they then started pulling the grass as well as destroying the technical area and shattering the glasses.

Efforts by security operatives to dispatch the mob with teargas canisters was in vain, as the fans wreaked more havoc, pelting the VIP stand from the pitch side with different objects.

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, in its summary jurisdiction over incidents that occurred during the World Cup qualifiers, delivered the sanctions in a letter updated on April 28.

According to FIFA, Nigeria’s fines were as a result of failure to implement “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).”

Former Super Eagles assistant coach Okpala stated that the fine was in line with the magnitude of the offence committed.

“As a Nigerian I would have loved FIFA to pardon us since we won’t be going to the World Cup in the first place. But this is not a Nigerian incident, it’s a global decision. In FIFA, there are rules and regulations, so, there are penalties for what happened in Abuja,” Okpala, a two-time AFCON winner as player and assistant coach, told The PUNCH.

“So, I think they followed the rules. It will be a lesson to us and other African countries to desist from the act.”

Though ex-Eagles defender Udeze, a member of the 2000 World Cup squad, insists FIFA’s decision was harsh he believes it will serve as a deterrent in the future.

“I feel it’s harsh but it will also serve as a warning to Nigeria and other African countries in the future. It is painful we didn’t get to qualify for the World Cup, yet we’re paying this large sum as a fine. We just have to hope that it doesn’t happen next time.”

“The fine is harsh but it would have been better if we had prevented the situation. To prevent same thing happening in the future, there should be a security committee and it must be embodied by experienced hands. Things like this should have been envisaged and prevented before it happened.”

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

19 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, delivered a dominant performance on Saturday morning, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their heavyweight bout in Miami.

Although Paul exceeded expectations by lasting beyond the early rounds, Joshua’s superior power and experience proved decisive, according to The Athletic.

The British boxer dropped Paul twice during a chaotic fifth round, setting the stage for the finish.

Joshua sealed the victory in the sixth round, unleashing a sustained combination of heavy punches that left Paul unable to continue, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua turned his attention to longtime rival Tyson Fury, challenging him to step into the ring.

“Put down (your) Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight me,” he said.

Paul, who later revealed he suffered a broken jaw in the bout, declined to name a future opponent.

Instead, the boxer said he would take a break from boxing following the loss, which marked the second defeat of his professional career.

Paul, who is ranked as the No. 14 cruiserweight with the WBA, has defeated back-to-back former boxing world champions.

He comfortably beat a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November 2024 on Netflix’s boxing debut and most recently outpointed a 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. this past June.

Sports

FirstBank Elephant Girls Win in Zone 3, Qualify for WBLA Final Round

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

Eric

FirstBank Basketball Club of Nigeria, popularly known as the “Elephant Girls”, have secured their spot in the final round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), scheduled to hold in Cairo, Egypt from 5-14 December 2025.

The Elephant Girls put up a commanding performance at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, winning all three games. Representing Nigeria as the country’s sole team in the tournament, they overcame fierce competition from Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin Republic, Ghana, and Togo in the Zone. Their undefeated run included a 66–55 upset against home favourites CSA of Côte d’Ivoire and a thrilling 63–59 comeback win against FBA of Côte d’Ivoire, after trailing by 20 points in the second quarter.

The remarkable performance, marked by resilience, discipline skill, and mental strength, earned the team a triumphant return to continental basketball after a six-year absence. Emerging as champions of Zone 3 and the only English-speaking team to advance, the Elephant Girls have reaffirmed FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to promoting women’s sports in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking on the qualification, FirstBank’s Group Head, Human Capital Management and Development and Chairman of the Sports Council, Olumuyiwa Olulaja, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Elephant Girls for their outstanding performance. They have once again shown the world the strength, resilience, and excellence that define FirstBank.

“At FirstBank, we are committed to continuing our support for sports in Nigeria and Africa, and this victory is a significant step forward in our mission to promote excellence in sports on the continental and global stage,” he added.

The Elephant Girls had advanced to represent Nigeria at the WBLA Qualifiers for FIBA Africa Zone 3, following an impressive Silver Medal finish at the Zenith Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Women’s Premier League.

With their place secured in Cairo, the Elephant Girls are poised to showcase their talent on the continental stage once again, carrying the pride of Nigeria and the FirstBank brand as they aim to make history in the Final Round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa.

Sports

Morocco’s Hakimi Wins Africa Football Player of the Year Award

Published

1 month ago

November 20, 2025

Eric

Morocco and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the Confederation of African Football Men’s Player of the Year Award for 2025, edging out finalists Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray).

The announcement came on Wednesday during the glittering CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco, where Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back, was the only finalist in attendance, adding to the electric atmosphere.

This marks a historic breakthrough for Hakimi, after finishing as runner-up in both 2023 and 2024 (behind Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, respectively), the 27-year-old has finally claimed Africa’s top individual football honour.

It’s also the first win for a Moroccan since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and only the fourth for a defender in the award’s modern history.