Residents of Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire had to scamper for safety after riots engulfed the city even as the country is hosting the African Cup of Nations football competition (AFCON).
According to a newspaper, Framat in Abidjan, riots engulfed streets of Abidjan following the humiliating defeat of the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire by Equatorial Guinea on Monday.
The hosts, in need to avert a defeat, as even a draw could suffice, were roundly beaten 4-0 by unlikely winners, Equatorial Guinea in what has become the biggest defeat of a host country in the 67 year history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
According to Framat, buses were stoned as the crowd dispersed from the Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe area of Abidjan.
Meanwhile, in another video, things were seen been burnt in the streets of Abidjan as police could be seen trying to contend the situation.
A Nigerian journalist covering the AFCON 2023 revealed via his social media handle that he had to hide his tag and scamper for cover after escaping on the bus.
Recall that the Ivorian Elephant were trashed to a shocking defeat by Equatorial Guinea which left the host country with a very slim chance of advancing to the knockout phase of the tournament as one of the four third-best-placed teams in the group stage.
Meantime, while the Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria have already taken the two automatic qualification tickets to the round of 16 from Group A, with three points and a negative three-goal difference, the Ivorians can only hope that fewer than four teams better their group stage record to have the chance of reaching the round of 16.
