Senegal, Ivory Coast qualifier for Africa Cup of Nations abandoned
An Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Senegal and Ivory Coast was abandoned after home fans went on a violent rampage as their team slipped towards a humiliating defeat.
Fires were set in the stands while stones, chairs and bottles were thrown at the players after Ivory Coast went 2-0 ahead, 15 minutes from the end of the second leg of the tie.
"After 40 minutes' suspension, the decision was taken to abandon the match," a Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor official said.
Violence erupted after Ivory Coast skipper Didier Drogba, who plays for Shanghai Shenhua after moving from European champions Chelsea, had scored his second goal of the match from the penalty spot.
That made the score 2-0 on the night and 6-2 on aggregate for Ivory Coast, putting them comfortably into the 2013 finals to be staged in South Africa, while eliminating Senegal.
English Premier League champions Manchester City said after the riot that brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure, who play for the Ivory Coast, appeared to escape the trouble unhurt.
"Yaya and Kolo were both involved in the second-leg clash and early reports suggest [they] are unharmed," the club said.
