NFF Reports Ethiopia To FIFA

The Nigeria Football Federation has reported the violent acts put up by Ethiopian fans to world football governing body, FIFA after their team's 2-1 loss to Nigeria on Sunday.

NFF Vice President, Mike Umeh, said the matter has been reported to the FIFA Security team at the match venue and he hopes action will be taken. The Ethiopian Police were also intimated with the ordeal of the Nigerian delegation by Eagles CSO, ACP Baba Abubakar, even as the NFF has promised that it will give the Ethiopians the best of hospitality when they come to Nigeria in November for the return leg.

The Super Eagles and the Nigerian delegation led by NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari returned to the country early Monday morning at about 4:30am with tales of ill-treatment from Ethiopian fans in the 2-1 win over the Walyan Antelopes on Sunday.

It would be recalled that on arrival, the Eagles were given a bus infested with coackroaches but the team took it in its stride. When it was time for training, the police team attached to the team deliberately took routes that are traffic-jammed, yet the team refused to be intimidated.

Matters came to a head on match day, when all manner of soft drink bottles were hauled at Nigerian players and supporters, when the Ethiopians thought that they had scored an opener in the first half. Television replays later showed that Godfrey Oboabona cleared the ball off the line.

It did not end there, when the Nigerian team was returning to its Saro Maria hotel abode after the game, some fans laid ambush and started hauling stones at the team’s bus. One of the heavy stones shattered the rear windscreen of the bus, sending all inside the bus scampering for safety. With all taking cover. Real Betis star, Nosa Igiebor was the unlucky one as the stone slashed his right palm leading to profuse bleeding that was immediately attended to by team doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran.