SA 2010 Qualifiers: Ivory Coast Football Stampede Kills Many
March 29, 2009
Ivory Coast hosted Malawi today in Abidjan, part of the 2010 World Cup qualifying matches that took place earlier today. A stampede ensued before the game resulting in multiple deaths. Some news media reported at least 19 deaths, others say at least 22.
This is the second deadly stampede to disrupt the 2010 qualifiers in Africa. In June, eight people died in Monrovia as spectators scrambled to get into an overcrowded stadium for a match between Liberia and The Gambia.
Stampedes are common at Africa's crowded stadiums. Badly-equipped security forces are far outnumbered and are often unable to control the huge crowds.
Last September, 11 people were killed in a stadium riot in Democratic Republic of Congo.
At least 19 people have been left dead and 132 injured at a World Cup qualifying match in the Ivory Coast last night
People tend to a man injured in the stadium crush
World Cup Tragedy: 22 Killed In Stampede
World Cup football match: 22 killed in stadium stampede in Ivory Coast
'Stampedes not an issue' for 2010 says South Africa
The organisers of the World Cup in South Africa insist stampeding fans will not be a problem for the tournament in 2010.
The organisers of the 2010 World Cup have insisted that the problems that often lead to stadium stampedes in Africa will not be an issue in South Africa.
Danny Jordaan, the president of the World Cup organising committee, was speaking a day after a stampede at a 2010 qualifier in Ivory Coast.
At least 19 people were killed before the Elephants game with Malawi.
Jordaan says many African fans buy their tickets only when they reach the stadium, and often arrive late to do that, creating an impatient crowd outside that can spark an incident.
When the World Cup comes to South Africa in 2010, match tickets will have to be purchased well in advance.
Jordaan says those without tickets will be "stopped kilometres away," and fans will be urged to arrive early.
Deadly Soccer Stampede Kills 19 people in Ivory Coast
The Ivorian government has opened an investigation into a stampede that killed 19 people and left 132 injured before a World Cup qualifying match between Ivory Coast and Malawi Sunday in Abidjan.
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro convened an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the stampede. Officials say they plan to investigate what caused a wall to collapse as fans forced their way into a packed Houphouet-Boigny stadium.
The fans had overwhelmed security, and in the ensuing panic, police fired tear gas into the crowd.
FIFA is also demanding a full report from the Ivorian Football Federation and local authorities to establish what happened outside the stadium before the match.
This is the second deadly stampede to disrupt the 2010 qualifiers in Africa. In June, eight people died in Monrovia as spectators scrambled to get into an overcrowded stadium for a match between Liberia and The Gambia.
FIFA had already expressed concern about the safety of soccer facilities across the continent and threatened that countries without adequate arenas would forfeit home advantage during preliminary matches for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
A FIFA audit in August 2007 found just 18 African nations out of the 50 they inspected had stadiums safe enough to host the World Cup qualifiers. Houphouet-Boigny stadium was judged safe for international matches. (Nothing is K-Proof)
FIFA also appointed a security officer for each World Cup qualifier, but African football officials have long complained that police refuse to cooperate and often unilaterally impose their own security plans on big matches. (Typical! so what else is new?)
While some families went from hospital to hospital in search of injured loved ones on Monday, others spent the day at Abidjan's largest morgue identifying the bodies of their family members. (Welcome to Africa!)
See also:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=632388&sec=worldcup2010&cc=3888
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