FIFA bans MKO Abiola Stadium as World Cup draw holds in Qatar – Nexus News
World football governing body, FIFA, yesterday, placed an indefinite ban on the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, as a result of the crowd violence that came after Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Nigeria held Ghana to a 1-1 draw at the stadium and also lost the Qatar 2022 World Cup ticket at stake to the Black Stars.
Annoyed by the Eagles’ poor performance, fans took to the pitch, damaging everything in sight and forcing a scampering that resulted in several casualties.
Reacting to the football coordinator’s report on the incident, FIFA prohibited the stadium from holding international football matches till further notice, while considering whether to place more sanctions on Nigeria for its failure to provide adequate security during the Super Eagles versus Ghana match.
Meanwhile, former Super Eagles Captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, will join two former World Cup winners, Cafu and Lothar Matthäus, as assistants during today’s Qatar 2022 draw.
The trio will meet five other record-breakers and history-makers in the draws.
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According to FIFA, Carli Lloyd, Jermaine Jenas and Samantha Johnson will create the conducting team for the final draw to disclose the groups for the 2022 edition of football’s global showpiece.
The full line-up of assistants will also include Adel Ahmed MalAllah (Qatar), Ali Daei (IR Iran), Bora Milutinović (Serbia/Mexico), Rabah Madjer (Algeria) and Tim Cahill (Australia).
The event will be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center and will be held at 19:00 local time (18:00 CET).
The eight draw assistants will be aided by a conducting team consisting of two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, Carli Lloyd, football pundit and former England player, Jermaine Jenas, and British-Jamaican sports presenter, Samantha Johnson.
In Pot 1 of the draw are Qatar (host nation), Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal, while Pot 2 has Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA and Croatia.
Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, Korea Republic and Tunisia are in Pot 3, while Pot 4 has Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, winner of intercontinental play-off 1, winner of intercontinental play-off 2 and winner of European play-off.
