A soccer fans' stampede at a World Cup qualifying match in Ivory Coast has killed at least 22 people with additional 132 wounded? Fans at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny sports arena in Abidjan pushed against each other at the entry turnstiles, shortly before the game between Ivory Coast and Malawi started, causing a wall to collapse, which set off a panic leading to a fatal stampede. Many of the Ivorians football fans, had trudged to the stadium to behold their soccer idol, Chelsea England's striker Didier Drogba who eventually scored twice in the 5-0 Ivorian defeat of visiting Malawians; before a 36, 000 stadium capacity crowd? The tragedy occurred shortly before the game began but the match was allowed to go on, notwithstanding the loss of lives? Whether even a minute of silence was observed for the departed was not ascertainable at the time of writing this commentary? Icheoku says if the death of 22 fans was not enough reason to postponed a match, how many more deaths therefore will it it take? Does it mean that African lives are not as valued as that of other peoples of the world to warrant a world cup qualifying match deferment; even for one day in honour of the fallen? Is the African life a lesser life that its loss has no effect in the thinking of FIFA, the world cup qualifiers organizing body? Icheoku condemns unequivocally, the non postponement of this match in respect of the dead as a wanton disregard for an African life? Whoever is the sports minister in Ivory Coast should resign his office in shame, for not doing enough to guard against such a disaster and for failing to persuade FIFA to defer the match in the honor of the dead fans?
The culprit, poor crowd control, which triggered the disaster at Abidjan was an avoidable happenstance, had the authorities in Abidjan put their acts together? This is a sign of what could possibly happen in South Africa 2010 but we hope the planning authorities for the 2010 sports fiesta will take a cue in crowd management to avoid similar fate as befell these Ivorians. Icheoku prays their bereaved families find the strength to bear the loss; and since the deceased died doing what they love, being fans to their home football team, possibly they wouldn't wish otherwise? Hopefully, the Ivory Coast national team makes it to the world cup football tournament, at least to honor their fans who perished today.
Team 'heard of deaths' before game
ReplyDeleteBy Steve Vickers
BBC Sport
Large numbers of fans tried to get into the packed stadium
A member of the Malawi team says that his side were aware before start of the World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast that fans had died.
At least 19 people lost their lives and 132 were injured, as a wall collapsed as fans tried to get into the packed stadium on Sunday.
Malawi defender Elvis Kafoteka has now told the BBC's Network Africa programme that his team saw disturbing scenes before kick-off.
"As we were coming back from the warm-up and heading to the dressing room we saw people, like women and a couple of guys [aged] 10 or 15 being led by Red Cross guys," he said.
"There was a lot of blood, some had fainted and they were being carried [away] by Red Cross guys."
"We heard that some people had died before the match, but we tried to shift our focus to the game.
"We thought that maybe the referee would ask us to pay one minute's silence, but nothing was said, so we just carried on."
The president of the Ivory Coast Football Federation, Jacques Anouma, told the BBC's French Service that he was not aware of the deaths until well into the game.
"We knew very late as to the number of victims, after the second half," he said.
"If the match commissioner felt that [the game] could continue, then we continue."
The incident occurred when a wall collapsed at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium shortly before Ivory Coast beat Malawi 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
Meanwhile, three days of national mourning have been declared by President Laurent Gbagbo, beginning on Wednesday.
Football's world governing body, Fifa, has asked for a minute's silence to be observed before the kick-off of the World Cup qualifiers being played on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Striker Salomon Kalou expressed his sorrow to the injured fans and the families of those who died.
"They need to feel we are behind them because they came to support us and unfortunately things went badly. I don't do this alone but with all the team," he said.