Ghana Black Stars were virtually kept hostage at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, in Nigeria, for more than two hours after their 1-1 draw game with the Super Green Eagles of Nigeria in the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) 2022 World Cup qualifier, the Management Committee has disclosed.

“It was quite a scary moment for us as we took cover in the dressing room,” Mr Mark Addo, Vice-President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), said in an interview.

The Stars booked their ticket to the quadrennial championship in Qatar via the away goal rule, and soon after the match, some aggrieved Nigerian football fans invaded the pitch and went on the rampage.

The GNA Sports gathered that some Ghanaian players, including skipper Thomas Partey, had their fair share of the rampage as they were pelted with empty plastic bottles as they went through the tunnel leading to the dressing room.

Mr Addo, Chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee, said the feat chalked by the Stars in their second-leg World Cup qualification play-off came by dint of hard work. “Many people gave us a very slim chance, however, we were determined to defy the odds,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has saluted the Black Stars for the honour done to the nation by their qualification to the quadrennial championship. In a State of the Nation’s Address, on Wednesday, he said: “Their qualification for the World Cup has brought so much joy to Ghanaians, and we are looking forward to an outstanding performance in Qatar.”