Fans invaded a soccer stadium holding an Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroon’s capital on Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring 38 others, according to the government.
Images shared on social media, which reporters were unable to verify, showed a frantic throng trying to squeeze through a tight entrance gate at the recently built Olembe stadium in Yaounde, which was hosting a round of 16 matches between Cameroon and Comoros.
One video showed dozens of fans scrambling over the stadium fence as a police officer walked by.
The stampede comes as a heavy blow for the tournament, which had grown in excitement on the pitch in recent days thanks to some match upsets but which was under scrutiny for a lack of preparations.
COVID-19, as well as insecurity brought on by a separatist rebellion, hampered preparations.
Work on the 60,000-seat Olembe Stadium preceded right up until the commencement of Africa’s top soccer tournament, causing the continent’s soccer governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to call an emergency meeting to explore canceling the tournament entirely.
“The CAF is presently examining the incident and attempting to learn more about what happened. We are in close contact with the government of Cameroon and the Local Organizing Committee, a statement said.
THE SURPRISE, THE IMPOSSIBILITY
Vanessa Tchouanzi, a high school teacher, had come to see the match on Monday. She was scarcely able to get her words out when she told reporters about her ordeal over the phone.
Tchouanzi and a companion attempted to enter the stadium, but gate attendants were too overwhelmed by the crowds to check tickets.
Tchouanzi and her buddy were knocked to the ground as supporters swarmed the entrance. Tchouanzi was aided in her escape by a spectator, but her buddy was stomped to death, she claimed.
Tchouanzi remarked through sobs, “She couldn’t bear the shock, the weight of all those people.”
The administration refused to say what caused the crowd to swell or whether those without tickets were let inside the stadium. The reason for the match’s continuation after the disaster is unclear.
Cameroon authorities have opened stadium gates, organized mass transportation, and given out free tickets to entice supporters after dismal turnout in the first round games at spanking new stadiums.
Cameroon advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating the Comoros Islands 2-1.
