In a disturbing scene in Nigeria, a professional footballer was allegedly attacked with a knife by a fan during a Premier Football League match between Nasarawa United and Plateau United at the Lafia City Stadium on Sunday.
According to Punch Newspapers, a Nasarawa United supporter reportedly attempted to stab Plateau United player Vincent Temitope, leaving him in serious condition after their league match.
As per reports from Nigeria, the incident began when Temitope was allegedly involved in an altercation with one of the Nasarawa fans after the match, where Plateau lost by a score of 3-2.
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It has been reported that the confrontation escalated into a physical altercation, culminating in the spectator stabbing and severely injuring the 26-year-old forward with a knife.
According to Daily Post Nigeria,the security at the stadium was said to be inadequate with fewer than 20 police officers being used to manage a crowd of thousands.
"The atmosphere was tense throughout the match,” one spectator told Daily Post Nigeria.
"Immediately after the final whistle, Plateau United officials rushed their players off the pitch, but it was too late — the crowd invaded and chaos erupted."
Plateau United's director of media operations Yaksat Maklek, explained how the unfortunate incident unfolded at the Lafia City Stadium.
"After the game, a couple of fans went close to him pretending they wanted to take some snapshots and one of them struck him in the neck," Maklek told TheCable.
"They say he actually held a knife and struck him in the neck. You would imagine how worst it would have been if he did [the player] did not escape that particular attack."
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Additionally, BSN Sport reports that Temitope has now been reunited with his team, while the alleged attacker was promptly apprehended by the Police and taken into custody.
It is said that the Nigeria Premier Football League board will release a statement regarding this situation soon.
