Nigeria Fans Storm Pitch, Tear Gassed After Team Misses Out on World Cup

Nigerian fans destroyed property on the field and threw objects at visiting Ghana fans and players before police dispersed the crowd with tear gas.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup Tuesday after losing to Ghana 1–1 based on the away-goals tiebreaker Tuesday. 

Following the game, Nigerian fans stormed the pitch and began destroying property on the field and throwing objects at visiting Ghana fans and players.

The angry fans made their way onto the field before the final whistle was blown, causing the Ghanaian players to struggle to leave the field. They eventually got out, though it’s unclear if anyone was hurt during the incident.

When police arrived on the scene, they began beating the rioters with batons and ultimately used tear gas on the fans to disperse them.

In a video shared on Twitter, fans can be seen destroying the dugouts and knocking over goals and other objects on the sidelines. 

Nigeria fans riot after they draw with Ghana and miss out on #Qatar2022 qualification tonight 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/w1C5yqUcwK

— Danny Armstrong (@DannyWArmstrong) March 29, 2022

Nigeria has made the last three World Cups, last failing to qualify in 2006, and the team was expected to qualify for this year’s World Cup in Qatar after securing a draw in the first leg of their playoff on the road against Ghana. But after Tuesday’s disappointment, the Super Eagles will not be participating.