Ivory Coast’s footballers were praised for their cool-headedness on Sunday after they were targeted by stones, bottles and chairs hurled by angry Senegal fans during an Africa Cup of Nations match.

Saturday’s game at Stade Leopold Sedar was abandoned after Ivory Coast had taken a 2-0 lead on the night for a 6-2 aggregate in a qualifier for the 2013 finals in South Africa.

As fires were set in the stands and missiles rained down, the players as well as some 300 visiting fans, were forced to take refuge in the centre circle as the security forces used tear gas on rioting fans.

“It’s a shame, it’s regrettable,” said Mbaye Ndiaye, the Senegal interior minister. “But we say bravo to the Ivory Coast team for their achievement, their behaviour, wisdom and sense of fair play.” 

Ivory Coast had gone 2-0 ahead, 15 minutes from the end of the second leg of the tie.

The violence erupted then - when Ivory Coast skipper Didier Drogba, the former Chelsea star, had scored his second goal from the penalty spot. Drogba had opened the scoring for the visitors in the 51st minute with a free-kick.

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 told reporters.

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

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