Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) has clarified that medical official, Joseph Kabungo from Zambia, died from cardiac arrest and not from injuries sustained after Nigeria versus Ghana World Cup match.
Angry Nigerian fans invaded the Moshood Abiola Stadium pitch at the end of the encounter, which ended 1-1 and effectively ended Nigeria’s hope of qualifying for the World Cup.
They went for the players, who were shielded out of the stadium immediately after the game by security men. Failing to get their hands on their targets, the hooligans descended on the stadium, destroying everything within their reach.
According to a CAF statement “Dr Kabungo had a cardiac arrest when walking towards the team dressing rooms and collapsed on the floor. His unfortunate death was not related to the violence. Confirmed by doctors it’s important we get our facts together in this sad moment as we moan the great gentleman.”
The match’s General Coordinator, Kabelo Bosilong from South Africa, also confirmed that the Zambian died of cardiac arrest.
Following the violence that followed Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Ghana, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials fear FIFA may ban the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, from hosting international matches.
According to an NFF official, who pleaded anonymity, Africa’s football ruling body, CAF, has demanded full report of the game and the violence that ensued after the encounter.
The official said: “The match commissioner and the general coordinator for the game have been asked by CAF to provide reports – all of these things have gone viral or global so you’d expect that CAF would ask for a report and I know with what we’ve seen and based on previous experiences, there will be sanctions against Nigeria and the MKO Abiola Stadium for the way things went out of hand.”
