Otto Addo has urged Nigerian fans to be calm in their game against Ghana
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has disclosed that he was unharmed during the team’s 1-1 draw against Nigeria in Lagos during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.|
According to his account, following the conclusion of the game, the disgruntled Nigerian fans directed their anger at their players and coaching staff for their failure to defeat the Black Stars at their home grounds.
Hence, the Black Stars players, together with him, were able to escape the violence without any issues and made it to the dressing room safely.
“First of all, we played a draw, but we qualified for the World Cup, and there were tensions that day. To be honest, the Nigerian fans weren’t angry with us, so they didn’t harm us. They were angry at their own players, so we had to get into the dressing room to be safe.
“I think this conversation should be directed to the fans of Nigeria and the Nigerian team, not us. We didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said while speaking ahead of the Ghana-Nigeria game in the Unity Cup.
Ahead of the game scheduled for May 28, 2025, Addo urged the fans of both nations, especially Nigeria, to comport themselves irrespective of the results.
“For all of us, it’s crucial that spectators remain calm and safe, regardless of the outcome. Violence should have no place in football at all,” he added.
About the violence that erupted during the Ghana-Nigeria game in 2022
At the final whistle, when the match ended 1-1, fans reacted to the result by throwing objects at both the small group of visiting fans and the Ghana players and invaded the pitch, where both sets of players had to battle their way towards the tunnel as fans charged at them.
Fans also smashed the doors leading to the presidential box and overturned two dugouts. The police hit the pitch invaders with their batons and fired tear gas on the pitch to disperse them.
Cars parked outside the stadium were vandalised, and properties were stolen, while some vehicles parked near the exit doors had their windows, wing mirrors, and lights smashed.
Attacks outside the ground were reported by local media, with some fans having their mobile phones stolen.
SB/EB
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