Nigeria/Iran match: Man attacks fan with machete for poking fun at Eagles

Football fans at the Ilasan area of Lagos State scampered for safety after a man armed with machete attacked another for making fun of the Super Eagles, after the Monday draw between Nigeria and Iran in a Brazil 2014 World Cup Group F match.

The incident was said to have occurred at a viewing centre.

Many people in the area where the incident happened believed that the man wielding the machete wanted to cut off the head of his victim, but only succeeded in inflicting injury on him.



One of the men, identified as Sunday Usman, suspected to be drunk, armed with a machete, had started to chase other fans for allegedly making fun of the Super Eagles who failed to fly in the opening match of their Mundial campaign.

Usman, who hails from Edo State, was said to have been watching the match with others in a bar when a man, Koffi whom he believed wanted Iran to win praised Iran players for dribbling and foiling all attempts by the Nigerian team to score.

Eye witnesses claimed that Usman, who had steadily being drinking alcohol as the match progresses, had loudly warned Koffi, a Ghanaian to stop praising Iran players to his hearing and to stop abusing Super Eagles. But Koffi turned a deaf ear to the warnings.

The Nation reports:

Our correspondent learnt that Usman warned Koffi, to stop uttering provocative words against the Nigerian players but he did not listen.

An eyewitness disclosed that although he was angry too with the way the Ghanaian was mocking the Super Eagles, he never expected Usman to stab him (Koffi).

The eyewitness said, “Usman was drunk because he has been drinking Alomo bitters. I was surprised when he warned and threatened that he was going to deal with Koffi if he continue mocking the Nigerian team.

“Koffi, who believed the man was joking, could not escape when Usman left the scene and returned with a cutlass. Others who were viewing the match scampered for safety when they saw him with the cutlass. He cut Koffi in the head with the cutlass.”

He said it was people around that disarmed Usman and beat him until he fell.
The victim was later rushed to a private hospital for medical attention.