Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A tragic stampede at a soccer match in Guinea, West Africa, as fans start a riot within the overcrowded stadium. The incident has claimed the lives of at least 56 people and left many others injured in what is being described as the world’s latest sports crowd disaster.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, December 1, at the overcrowded Third of April Stadium in Nzérékoré, a southeastern city in Guinea.
According to AFP, between 20.000 and 30.000 of fans had gathered to watch the local teams, Labe and Nzérékoré, compete in the finals of a national tournament held in honor of military leader Mamady Doumbouya.
Violence Sparked by Controversial Referee Decision
The chaos began when one of the team fans reacted angrily to a referee’s decision to issue red cards to a player and award a late-game penalty to the home team. The controversial call led to a massive protest, with frustrated fans throwing stones and escalating the situation into violence.
“The dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision has triggered a deadly confrontation,” the Guinean government said in a statement.
As tensions rose, police deployed tear gas, which caused widespread panic among the crowd. Social media videos show thousands of terrified fans scrambling to escape the packed stadium. The overcrowded conditions at the venue worsened the situation, resulting in a fatal crush as attendees struggled to flee the chaos.
Guinea’s Minister of Information, Fana Soumah, announced that an investigation is underway to determine the causes of the disaster.
Political Ties
Local media reported that the soccer tournament was organized to honor President Mamady Doumbouya, who came to power after overthrowing the government in coup back in 2021.
The match said to be a part of a tournament organized by Guinea’s ruling military junta to bolster support for Doumbouya, who is reportedly eyeing a potential presidential bid in 2025.
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Aside from the politics, this tragic event highlights ongoing concerns over crowd safety and security at large-scale sporting events particularly In the African Nations as in recent decades the world have seen a number of deadly disasters in soccer stadiums.
(Raidi/Agung)
