The Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final due to be held at the Olembe Stadium on Sunday will be moved after a fatal crush outside the ground on Monday.<\/p>\n
At least eight people were killed and 38 injured as fans struggled to get access to a match between hosts Cameroon and Comoros in Yaounde.<\/p>\n
All Nations Cup matches will remember victims with a minute\u2019s silence.<\/p>\n
The Confederation of African Football and world governing body FIFA have sent condolences to the affected families.<\/p>\n
Two children, aged eight and 14, were among the dead, and seven people were seriously injured in the crush.<\/p>\n
CAF president Patrice Motsepe visited injured supporters in hospital and the scene outside the Olembe Stadium on Tuesday, and later said he was \u201csad and hurt\u201d by the incident.<\/p>\n
Motsepe added that CAF must take responsibility for the crush along with the local organising committee and the Cameroonian government.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a duty to find out exactly what happened and more importantly to put in preventative measures to ensure that what happened never happens again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were deficiencies, weaknesses, failures, things that should have been foreseen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people lose their lives you must be angry and demand explanations and guarantees that it will never happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Olembe Stadium, newly constructed to host the tournament, has a capacity of 60,000 but was not meant to be more than 80% full because of Covid-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n
However, match officials were quoted as saying that as many as 50,000 people were trying to attend Monday\u2019s match.<\/p>\n
The ground held the opening ceremony and is due to host a semi-final and the Nations Cup final on Sunday, 6 February.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s quarter-final is now set to be played at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde instead.<\/p>\n
Condolences paid by Cameroon squad and FIFA.<\/p>\n
Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar issued a statement on behalf of the squad, saying the Indomitable Lions \u201cdeeply wail\u201d after hearing about fatalities and injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the families of the victims, [we] extend their heart-felt condolences and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,\u201d Aboubakar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Indomitable Lions urge the football fans in Cameroon and Africa to be highly disciplined and responsible within and outside the stadiums so that football matches in general and the 2021 Nations Cup remain festive moments.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] also call for the preservation of security, brotherhood and shared happiness in the stadiums.\u201d<\/p>\n
Football\u2019s world governing body Fifa has sent its \u201cdeepest condolences\u201d to families and friends of the victims of a crush outside a stadium at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.<\/p>\n
\u201cFIFA sends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives following the tragic incident that took place at Olembe Stadium,\u201d the statement from Fifa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thoughts and prayers of the global football community are with the victims, the ones who have been injured in this incident, and all the staff of both Caf and the Cameroonian Football Association (Fecafoot) at this difficult moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered an investigation into the \u201ctragic incident\u201d, while Caf is in in \u201cconstant communication\u201d with the Cameroonian government and the local organizing committee and has also launched its own investigation.<\/p>\n
\u2018Families will cry\u2019 \u2013 Djemba-Djemba on difficult evening for Cameroon
\nFormer Cameroon midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba attended the last-16 game, which Cameroon won 2-1, and said news of the incident was \u201cheart-breaking\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very shocking as people were coming to the stadium to watch football, and people have died,\u201d the 40-year-old, who had a spell at Manchester United from 2003 to 2005, told the BBC World Service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were inside and suddenly we heard people had died outside the stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the worst possible news because Cameroon did everything to play the tournament in Cameroon and built big stadiums. I think for me it is very sad.<\/p>\n
Ivory Coast coach Patrice Beaumelle, whose side face Egypt in the last 16 on Wednesday, also sent his condolences to victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team is trying to stay focused on football although as human being they cannot be indifferent,\u201d Beaumelle said.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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