Senegal vs Ivory Coast friendly in Paris abandoned after fans invade pitch

March 28 – An international friendly sbetween African rivals Senegal and the Ivory Coast, staged on the outskirts of Paris, was abandoned on Monday when fans invaded the pitch and confronted the players.The game was locked at 1-1 two minutes from the end when a handful of fans climbed over perimeter fencing and on to the pitch, with one appearing to assault Senegal’s Lamine Gassama.

As stewards struggled to maintain order, the players immediately ran off the pitch leaving the French referee no choice but to abandon the match.

It was the second time in five years that a fixture between the two countries was been called off because of crowd disturbances. Senegal were disqualified from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations when a riot led to a playoff between the sides being stopped early.

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