Fans of Nigeria, with their faces painted in the national colours, cheer for their team before their 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Swaziland at Adokie Amiesiemaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Nigeria November 17, 2015. File photo
Image by: STRINGER / REUTERS
Image by: STRINGER / REUTERS
African football's governing body on Monday fined Nigeria $5,000 (about R75,000) for overcrowding and lack of security during their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt.
The Confederation of African Football (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.
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