Huge Riot After Drogba Scores In African Game

A football match between Senegal and the Ivory Coast has been abandoned after rioting broke out during the game - after former Chelsea star Didier Drogba scored a goal.

Police fired tear gas into the crowds at the stadium in Dakar during the African Nations Cup qualifier and players were escorted from the pitch when the match came to a halt.

Thousands of Senegalese fans had been lighting fires and throwing missiles onto the pitch in anger at their team's poor performance saw them slip towards a humiliating defeat.

Violence erupted after Ivory Coast went 2-0 ahead, 15 minutes from the end of the second leg of the tie, when Ivory Coast skipper Drogba scored his second goal 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 and eliminating Senegal.

"After 40 minutes suspension, the decision was taken to abandon the match," an official at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor said.

As the missiles, which also included tin cans, water bombs and concrete pieces rained down on the pitch, players cowered in the centre-circle as security forces used tear gas to quell the trouble.

Both teams were then escorted to the safety of the dressing rooms before the stadium was evacuated.

Police also moved around 300 Ivory Coast fans from the stands into the middle of their pitch for their protection.

Senegal sports minister El Hadji Malick Gakou said around 10 people suffered minor injuries - including himself after he was hit by a stone.

Medical attention was provided for most of the injured supporters in the middle of the pitch.

"The match was halted and the Lions of Senegal will not qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations," Senegal's official news agency APS said.

"Senegal will now incur a sanction from the Confederation of African Football (CAF)."

Striker Drogba had opened the scoring for the visitors in the 51st minute with a free-kick.

Meanwhile, Premier League champions Manchester City said that brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure, who were playing 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 the brothers are unharmed," a statement on the club's website said.