The semifinal clash between Adebayo Samba FC of Ikotun (England) and Super Accurate Football Club of Abaranje (Belgium) descended into chaos on Sunday after a controversial late penalty triggered a violent confrontation among supporters at Ikotun Community Primary School, Lagos.
The Chairman of Adebayo Samba FC, Alhaji Junaid Taofeek, was allegedly attacked and left with an injury to his left eye as angry fans clashed following the referee’s decision to award his team a late penalty.
Super Accurate FC were leading 1-0 when the centre referee pointed to the spot in favour of Adebayo Samba in the closing stages of the Super World Cup Football Tournament semifinal.
The decision immediately sparked heated protests from Super Accurate FC’s supporters, with arguments escalating into a full-blown confrontation involving fans of both teams.
In the ensuing melee, Taofeek, who was reportedly attempting to calm the situation, was allegedly assaulted by some fans.
Our correspondent, who witnessed the tension-soaked encounter, observed that the Adebayo Samba chairman was beaten by some supporters, with one of the attackers reportedly targeting his left eye.
Speaking shortly after the incident, Taofeek said his vision had been seriously affected and that he needed urgent medical attention.
“I was trying to settle the issue among the fans when suddenly one of the football fans attacked me and hit my left eye. As I am talking to you now, I cannot see clearly, and I need to see my doctor immediately after I leave this field,” he said.
Despite the controversy surrounding the decision, Taofeek insisted that the penalty awarded to his team was justified, arguing that there had been no major officiating issues throughout the encounter.
He, however, commended the match officials for what he described as fair officiating and praised his players for their impressive performance.
The situation eventually forced the organisers to abandon the match as security concerns mounted around the venue.
Match officials were ordered to discontinue the encounter after the escalating confrontation among supporters made it unsafe for the game to continue.
Reacting to the incident, the tournament coordinator, Bolaji Adeoye, expressed disappointment over the unruly conduct of supporters of both teams.
Adeoye disclosed that the tournament’s disciplinary committee had commenced an investigation into the incident, warning that any player, team or supporter found culpable would face appropriate sanctions.
The Super World Cup Football Tournament was organised to keep participating clubs active during the FIFA World Cup period. As part of the tournament’s concept, participating teams adopted the names of countries that qualified for the World Cup.