World football governing body, FIFA, has placed an indefinite ban on the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The ban came Wednesday after angry Nigerian fans invaded the pitch on Tuesday following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Events:

After playing without conviction, the Super Eagles played a one-all draw with Ghana and the rule says away goals count higher.

So, the lone goal by the Super Eagles was not enough to take them to Qatar.

The irate fans entered the field after and began vandalising the newly renovated turf. They were dispersed by security forces but the damage had been done.

The Abuja National Stadium has a 60,000 seater capacity, but fans and spectators that attended may have passed that number.

There are no specifications on the sanctions by FIFA and the regional body CAF could mete out to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for failing to provide adequate security for the game but the two bodies frowned at fans’ encroachment into the field of play.

Similar event:

In May 2006, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee slammed Nigeria with a $5,000 fine for poor crowd control at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, where the Super Eagles hosted Egypt in a Gabon 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier.

The organisers of the match allowed a crowd of over 40,000 inside the stadium designed to hold 25,000 spectators.

The Super Eagles and the Pharaohs drew 1-1 in that encounter, with the Egyptians subsequently defeating Nigeria 1-0 in the return fixture to stop the Eagles from qualifying for the competition.

This sanction implies that the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, is barred from hosting international matches indefinitely.

Bottomline

The Abuja Stadium has just been renovated by the Dangote Group, and the outrage after the match will not change the final score.

The Super Eagles needed an outright win, and the one all draw may have happened due to tactless coaching or players misinterpreting the plans of the coach.

Whichever way, the ban may come with other sanctions, not forgetting that the country will have to spend unplanned monies to repair the damage.

Also, the erstwhile Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen, has stepped down from that position with immediate effect, a press statement by the NFF has confirmed.