Nigeria midfielder Sani Kaita has received death threats following his red card in the Super Eagles' 2-1 defeat to Greece on Friday.


Kaita was sent off during Nigeria's 2-1 defeat to Greece. (GettyImages)


Nigeria were 1-0 up when Kaita was sent off for aiming a kick at Greece defender Vasileios Torosidis.

Torosidis went on to score the winning goal, a goal that puts Nigeria's qualification for the second round in serious doubt.

The Alania Vladikavkaz player revealed after the game that he had received death threats via email.

"Yes, I have received some threats to my life," Kaita said. "They were sent to my email but I'm not disturbed about that because as a Muslim, only God decides who lives and who dies.

"Everything on this Earth is in God's hands, whether it is your life or whatever and unless God allows it, no-one has the power to kill me. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow. He holds our destiny. That is what my religion teaches me."

The incident is a chilling reminder of the fate of Colombia defender Andres Escobar, who was murdered after the 1994 World Cup, the killing believed to have been provoked by an own goal he scored against USA.

Kaita refuted suggestions that his situation was similar to that of Escobar, but added that he was unable to sleep following his dismissal in Bloemfontein.

"I won't liken my case to that of Escobar because everyone has his destiny on this earth," he said. "I cannot stop apologising to all Nigerians for making this costly mistake."

"I couldn't sleep thinking about what my action has cost my country, but I hope we will win our next game and qualify for the next round, where I hope to redeem my image with a good performance."

"I promise to put my life down on the pitch to ensure we go very far in this competition, and I promise that what happened will never happen again."