Nigeria’s hard-fought 2-1 victory in Addis Ababa on Sunday in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup play-offs was marred by post-match incidents. According to KickOffNigeria, the Super Eagles’ bus faced delays before leaving the stadium due to the anger of some Ethiopian supporters dissatisfied with the match’s outcome.
When the bus finally departed, it encountered several irate fans along the route to the hotel. The situation escalated, with the bus being stoned and windows smashed, leading to a serious injury to the arm of defender Nosa Igiebor, who was near one of the windows. The players, shaken by the incident, opted to stay in their hotel, missing a dinner at the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia.
Chief Mike Umeh, vice-president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), stated, “We reported the facts to the FIFA Security Commissioner and the Ethiopian police.” The unrest was likely triggered by the controversially disallowed goal for the Antelopes Walya in the first half, contributing to the tense situation.
