The Tears From Teargas, The Escape and Full Interview at The Abuja Stadium | A Nigeria Vs Ghana Story
Posted By talkfootyfc
May 24, 2025
12:19 am
The Tear Gas Escape and Full Interview at the Abuja Stadium | A Nigeria vs Ghana Story
Sammylegals interviewing an Angry Nigerian Fan
March 28, 2022 — a date Nigerian football fans will never forget. For us at TalkFooty, it marked the beginning of our journey — a baptism of fire into the world of football coverage.
Just under two months after founding TalkFooty, myself and four other team members set out for Abuja with one goal: to witness and document Nigeria’s qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It was our first major outing as a team, and while we were inexperienced, we were driven by passion and the dream of building something meaningful.
Watch Video Below:
Sammylegals interviewing an Angry Nigerian Fan
We arrived safely in Abuja, checked into our hotel, and began preparations immediately. We created fan preview videos, interacted with supporters, and soaked in the electric build-up to the game. The Moshood Abiola Stadium was buzzing. Over 60,000 fans poured in with high hopes, singing, dancing, and waving the green and white — believing, like we all did, that Nigeria would take the final step toward World Cup qualification.
The first leg of the tie in Kumasi had ended in a goalless draw, setting the stage for a make-or-break second leg in Abuja. Unfortunately, disaster struck early. Thomas Partey, Ghana’s midfield dynamo, silenced the stadium with a stunning strike from outside the box — a goal that Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho failed to deal with properly.
Though the Super Eagles responded with a penalty from captain William Troost-Ekong, it wasn’t enough. The 1-1 result meant Ghana advanced on away goals. The final whistle brought heartbreak. In mere minutes, the disappointment turned into chaos.
Angry fans stormed the pitch. Objects were thrown. Stadium property was destroyed. In the middle of it all, tragedy struck — a FIFA official lost his life. The incident led to Nigeria being banned from hosting matches at the Moshood Abiola Stadium. It was one of the darkest nights in Nigerian football history.
For us, the chaos was personal. As we were conducting fan interviews post-match, tear gas was suddenly deployed by security agents trying to disperse the crowd. Inexperienced and overwhelmed, we had cameras in one hand and shirts covering our faces with the other, trying to finish what we came to do.
It was terrifying, but we didn’t back down. That night, something changed. Despite the panic, the pain, and the tears in our eyes, we captured raw, powerful footage — and when we posted our content, it went viral.
That moment defined TalkFooty. It was born not in comfort, but in crisis. Our presence at that game, under those circumstances, gave us our first real taste of what it meant to cover football with authenticity. We didn’t just report football — we lived it.
