CAIRO – African football’s governing body, Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Monday fined Nigeria $5,000 (4,400 euros) for overcrowding and lack of security during their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt.
CAF imposed the fine at a disciplinary meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, threatening “sanctions will be applied” if there was any repeat.
More than 40,000 spectators crammed into the 15,000-capacity Ahmadu Bello Stadium in the northern city of Kaduna on March 29 to watch the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Fans climbed onto any available space, including floodlight scaffolding, while others had to be held back from spilling onto the pitch by police mounted on horseback.
The Kaduna State government had thrown open the doors of the venue to allow fans to watch the crucial qualifier for free.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost the return fixture in Alexandria 1-0, ending their hopes of qualifying for the finals in Gabon next year.
AFP
