The Abuja National Stadiumb became a war zone this Thursday after the match between the Nigerian and Ghana teams for a ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The 1-1 draw ended up giving the Ghanaians the qualification and the fans of the Super Eagles, enraged, did not take long in invading the playing field and leading to serious incidents.
A few minutes were enough for the stadium's lawn to be flooded with Nigerian fans who, not understanding how their team was eliminated, began to run to rival footballers, who celebrated their achievement, spreading panic inside the venue.
A day after the unfortunate episode that toured the world, the Zambian Federation confirmed the worst news after announcing in an official statement that Dr. Joseph Kabungo, in charge of conducting the CAF doping tests on the protagonists, died while working.
“The Zambian Federation (FAZ) joins the rest of the football family in mourning the late Dr. Joseph Kabungo. Dr. Kabungo, a CAF/FIFA doctor, was on duty in Abuja for the second leg, the last qualifying match between Nigeria and Ghana, which ended 1-1″, he detailed in the first message. “We note that it is too early to delve into the details of the cause of his death, but we will wait for the full report from CAF and FIFA on exactly what happened,” FAZ President Andrew Kamanga explained.
“He was a dedicated and well-loved member of our football community and his impact was enormous, as he was also part of the winning team of AFCON 2012. His death is a great loss, as Dr. Kabungo was a friend and confidante of many generations of players and their families,” the statement said.
While neither of the two federations participating in the party commented on the case, nor did they give details of what happened, a Nigerian journalist (Ushier Komugisha) also confirmed the news through her Twitter account: “Really sad that Zambian doctor Joseph Kabungo, who worked as a medical officer for CAF/FIFA in the Nigerian-Ghana match in Abuja, he was beaten by fans until he lost consciousness. There were efforts to save his life, but he failed to do so. May his soul rest in peace.”
Osasu Obayiuwana, another British-Nigerian journalist, who was on the scene, wrote on his social media: “He was beaten, fell and stomped on him. He lost consciousness and was rushed to a nearest ambulance for CPR. The entire Ghanaian contingent observed how attempts were made at resuscitation with an oxygen mask. Later he was taken to the hospital and now this. Sad.”
“The stadium is becoming a mess. The fans are destroying everything they can touch. They fired tear gas!” This is how Ghanaian TV described what happened after the qualification of its national team in Nigerian lands.
In the images captured by fans who were in the stands, several people could be seen tearing apart the benches of substitutes, among other accessories of the stadium. The explosions of rumble bombs also stood out and the moment of the stampede in which security personnel began to launch tear gas was staged.
As far as football is concerned, after missing Russia 2018, Ghana will return to a World Cup (the fourth in its history) thanks to the draw against Nigeria, unable to assert the field factor.
The Green Super Eagles, who were pursuing their fourth consecutive participation, had neither the right nor the precision to complete their comeback in the face of the desperation of their fans, which filled the National Stadium.
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