FIFA bans Abuja Stadium as World Cup draw holds in Qatar

…Okocha, other top stars are ‘illustrious assistants’

…Senegal, Tunisia in Pot 3

…Ghana, Cameroun in Pot 4

World football governing body, FIFA, yesterday, slammed an indefinite ban on the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, following the crowd violence that trailed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Nigeria held Ghana to a 1-1 draw at the stadium and consequently lost the Qatar 2022 World Cup ticket at stake to the Black Stars.

Irked by the Eagles’ poor performance, fans took to the pitch, destroying everything in sight and forcing a stampede that led to several casualties.

Reacting to the match coordinator’s report on the incident, FIFA banned the stadium from holding international football matches indefinitely, while considering whether to mete 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 join five other record-breakers and history-makers in the draws.

According to FIFA, Carli Lloyd, Jermaine Jenas and Samantha Johnson will form the conducting team for the final draw to reveal 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 staged at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center and will get underway at 19:00 local time (18:00 CET).

The eight draw assistants will be supported by a conducting team comprised 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 Cameroun, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, winner of intercontinental play-off 1, winner of intercontinental play-off 2 and winner of European play-off.

Guardian.ng