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

FIFA Lists Six Females Among 52 Referees for 2026 World Cup

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

Eric

FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.

Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer.

“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.

“In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played.

There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” Collina said, with six women having already refereed in 2022.

AFP

Sports

AFCON 2025: CAS Overturns CAF Verdict

Published

1 month ago

March 25, 2026

Eric

African football has been plunged into fresh uncertainty after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) provisionally suspended a controversial ruling that stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarded it to Morocco.

In an interim decision issued on Monday, CAS accepted Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board and ordered a “freeze” on the implementation of its verdict.

The move effectively places the 2025 AFCON title in legal limbo pending a full hearing.

The dispute stems from a chaotic final played in January 2026, where the Teranga Lions of Senegal defeated the hosts, the Atlas Lions of Morocco, 1–0 after extra time. The match took a dramatic turn late on when a contentious penalty was awarded to Morocco.

Although the spot kick was missed, Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest, prompting confusion before play eventually resumed, and the match was concluded. Weeks later, Morocco’s federation challenged the outcome, citing provisions within AFCON regulations relating to match forfeiture.

On March 17, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled in Morocco’s favour, declaring that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a breach severe enough to forfeit the match. The result was overturned to a 3–0 victory for Morocco, with Senegal stripped of the title.

Senegal swiftly condemned the decision as unjust and escalated the matter to CAS, arguing that the sanction was disproportionate and undermined the integrity of the on-field result.

CAS has now sided, at least temporarily, with Senegal’s request for urgent intervention.

By granting provisional measures, the tribunal signalled that enforcing CAF’s ruling before a full hearing could cause irreparable harm, particularly in a case involving the revocation of a major continental title.

The immediate consequence is that AFCON 2025 currently has no officially recognised champion. The trophy remains unassigned while legal proceedings continue.

Sports

AFCON 2025: George Weah Urges CAS to Overrule CAF’s Verdict

Published

1 month ago

March 21, 2026

Eric

African football legend George Weah has criticised the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for stripping Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarding it to Morocco.

CAF’s Appeal Board overturned Senegal’s 1–0 victory in the Rabat final after ruling that the team’s walk-off during a late penalty incident constituted a forfeit. The result was subsequently recorded as a 3–0 win in favour of Morocco, crowning the hosts as champions.

Reacting to the decision, Weah, a former Ballon d’Or winner and three-time African Player of the Year, argued that match outcomes should be determined on the pitch, not in post-match rulings.

“In football, the referee on the pitch is the final authority. Once a match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand,” he said.

Weah warned that overturning completed matches sets a dangerous precedent for the sport.

“There is no sporting justification to nullify a match completed under the referee’s authority.

Otherwise, we risk a slippery slope where committee decisions override on-field calls,” he added.

The former AC Milan forward further stated that the ruling undermines the integrity and credibility of African football, raising concerns over fairness and consistency.