FIFA fine Senegal £143,000 after Mo Salah targeted by lasers before he skied crucial penalty

FIFA has fined Senegal’s football federation £143,000 for disgraceful fan behaviour after dozens of green lasers were beamed into the face of Egypt‘s Mohamed Salah as he prepared to take a spot kick during a penalty shootout.

The star was targeted in the World Cup qualifier at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium outside Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on March 29, following a 1-1 draw between the two countries, over two legs.

Unsurprisingly, the Liverpool forward blasted his kick over the bar with TV pictures revealing his face illuminated by vivid green light. Salah’s club team mate, Sadio Mane, put Senegal through to the World Cup finals in Qatar, when he tucked away his kick.

Senegal Football Federation has been fined by FIFA after lasers targeted Egyptian players

Mohamed Salah and his Egypt team-mates had lasers shone in their faces against Senegal 

Bitter recriminations followed the game, with the Egyptian Football Association claiming its players were the victims of racist abuse, bombarded with bottles and stones and also targeted by lasers throughout the match, which was watched by a raucous crowd of 50,000 people.

FIFA has now said its disciplinary committee has investigated the lasers, a pitch invasion by Senegal fans, an offensive banner and the national federation’s ‘failure to ensure that law and order are maintained in the stadium’.

As well as the fine, Senegal was also ordered to play a future competitive game in an empty stadium.

Security guards had to cover Salah’s head and bat away objects as they quickly whisked him away to the dressing room to safety after the match ended with Senegal going through

All of which will be of little consolation to Egypt, who claimed they were targeted by thugs throughout the second leg of the play-off.

The Egyptians said their team bus was attacked on the way to the stadium, which is about 20 miles from the capital.

Egypt said its players were abused and pelted with missiles during the warm up and again as they left the pitch at full time, with security guards having to protect Salah.

During play, the green light of the laser pens could be seen shining on the players’ faces and shirts.

Senegal levelled the tie on the night through an own goal before winning it on penalties

The first leg of the fixture ended 1-0 to Egypt, but the Pharaohs suffered a setback inside four minutes of the second leg, when Hamdi Fathi scored an own goal to level the tie.

After an end-end encounter, Mane settled the shootout, which Senegal won 3-1.

It was a double blow for Egypt, who had suffered the heart break of a penalty shootout defeat to Senegal only weeks earlier in the African Cup of Nations, staged in Cameroon.

The FIFA disciplinary panel also judged dozens of similar cases from World Cup qualifying games played since January and handed out more fines and stadium bans

Nigeria were punished with a £125,000 fine and a one-game stadium closure after fans invaded the pitch in Abuja after the Super Eagles were eliminated at home by Ghana in their playoff.

The game was overshadowed by ugly scenes from the crowd that continued after full time 

Salah and his Egypt comrades had lasers shone in their eyes throughout the match

The Egypt players being targeted was shown by several close-up shots from the cameras

FIFA imposed fines of £100,000 on Congo and £80,000 on Lebanon for crowd disorder in matches against Morocco and Syria, respectively.

The home sides were also served with a one-game stadium closure.

Discrimination by fans of Chile and Colombia at their home games, plus other offences, resulted in total fines of £80,000 and £45,000, for the two countries.