Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: FIFA World Cup, Football
Ryan Smart
A World Cup qualifier between Costa Rica and Nicaragua was plunged in chaos as police entered one of the dressing rooms with an arrest warrant.
Costa Rica won 4-1 to further solidify their chances of qualifying for the World Cup, with forward Alonso Martinez scoring twice in the first half.
The CONCACAF qualifying draw has opened up significantly due to World Cup co-hosts United States, Canada and Mexico all not being required to compete.
Each of the three group winners qualifies automatically for the tournament, with the two highest-ranked second-placed teams also making it to the World Cup.
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Ahead of Monday's set of fixtures, it was Haiti, on five points, who occupied second place in Group C ahead of Costa Rica.
But they lost 3-0 to Honduras earlier in the day, meaning Costa Rica (three points) and Nicaragua (one point) had the chance to
With Costa Rica on three points and Nicaragua on one point, there was a huge opportunity for both teams.
But Nicaragua's preparations were severely disrupted when, according to the nation's football federation, at least nine police officers entered the stadium in the minutes before the match with an arrest warrant for one of their players.
As per Spanish outlet CRHoy, law enforcement officers were asked by a child support plaintiff to detain the player, who has not been named.
The player was not arrested and an agreement was reached for the sum to be paid after the game, it has been reported.
Public Force director Marlon Cubillo stated: "The delegation was informed, the amount for which the order was issued was paid, and a report was sent to the pension judge."
For their part, the Nicaraguan Football Federation (FENIFUT) have made clear their anger surrounding the situation.
"The Nicaraguan Football Federation expresses its strongest protest to the authorities of the Republic of Costa Rica and to the International Federation of Associated Football (FIFA)," the statement begins.
"This action, which included the presence of at least nine police officers intent on making an arrest, generated an atmosphere of tension, confusion and instability for both the player and the entire squad.
"We want to state for the record that the national team has been in Costa Rican territory since last Saturday night, that the competent authorities have been fully aware of the identity and whereabouts of all the players for three consecutive days, and that they even participated in the security meeting held this morning.
"It is therefore unacceptable and unjustifiable that the police and judicial action was carried out just minutes before the start of the sporting event, directly affecting the concentration and performance of the national team.
"FENIFUT demands that this incident be investigated by the competent sports authorities and by FIFA itself, and that the necessary measures be taken to ensure that situations like this never happen again in the context of an official competition."