Tuesday Football

31 March 2009

by Jerrad Peters

Stadium disaster leaves Ivory Coast reeling

Ivory Coast raced out to the early lead in Group E of African World Cup qualifying on March 29. Of course, nobody will remember their 5-0 thrashing of Malawi given the horrific events that preceded it. A pre-match stampede in the capital, Abidjan, left at least 19 Ivorians dead and 132 injured as a mad rush at the gates of Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium quickly turned into a deadly crush. Some reports have pegged the death-toll at 22.

"I have come here with my colleague from Security to announce very sad news," stated a solemn Dagobert Banzio after the casualties had been counted. The Sports Minister then broke the news to his nation.

Despite pre-match warnings that the stadium had been sold out in advance of the Malawi contest, about 15,000 supporters—none of them with tickets—formed a crowd in front of the grounds. As they attempted to gain entry, police deployed pepper spray to maintain control of the situation. Chaos ensued, and the mob forced its way into the stadium, trampling other supporters and crushing a wall.

Many of the injured were carried onto the track encircling the pitch. As Ollo Kambire, a reporter for Super Sport newspaper, observed, "There were people falling. Then there was panic and a stampede."

"Fans started pushing to get in because the match was about to start," explained Interior Minister Desire Tagro, adding, "each and every one of them wanted to get in."

FIFA has requested an official report into the incident. Although similar stampedes are not uncommon in Africa, the magnitude of the Abidjan catastrophe is disconcerting.

In an interview with Le Patriote the morning after the match, Ivory Coast president Jacques Anouma expressed both sadness and frustration.

"We really can't understand what happened at a match where everyone was warned it was a sellout," he said. "We are really sorry. We give our condolences to the families of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

Anouma also called for a more elaborate security apparatus at international matches and asked that more doctors be present at the grounds. He also called on his countrymen to avoid placing blame for the incident.

"What I ask of Ivorians is not to start useless arguments, but to ensure that these kind of things don't happen again," he said. "It's sad. I'm deeply upset."

Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker echoed the president's remarks. "I am disappointed by what happened," he told reporters following the match. "It is hard to take. Football is nothing. You are talking about the deaths of 19 people. When things like this happen, it makes you realize how much people care about their country and their team. Peace to them. It is sad."

The disaster has led to questions surrounding South Africa's preparations for next summer's World Cup finals. However, chief organizer Danny Jordaan has vowed that a similar incident will not take place. South African authorities have been instructed to apprehend all fans without tickets before they even come near the stadiums. Some security checkpoints will be stationed as much as a mile away from the grounds.

"It triggers a stampede that leads to disaster," commented Jordaan, referring to the mobs of supporters without tickets that often attempt to enter football matches. "Those things won't occur in the Confederations Cup or the World Cup."

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