Houphouët-Boigny Arena stampede
Encyclopedia
A stampede occurred on 29 March 2009 in the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny
in Abidjan
, Côte d'Ivoire
before a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
match between Malawi
and Côte d'Ivoire
. Nineteen people were killed and more than 130 were injured. In an attempt to control the ensuing stampede police fired tear gas into the crowds, who had begun jostling with each other at least 40 minutes before kick off
. The match was particularly popular amongst locals with world stars such as Didier Drogba
, Sol Bamba and Salomon Kalou
due to play for the Côte d'Ivoire.
The match was the first match in Group 5 of Round 3 of the CAF zonal qualifying. It was played despite the deaths occurring before kick off, and was won 5–0 by Côte d'Ivoire. Officials have said that ticketless football fans were to blame for the stampede. Ivory Coast Prime Minister Guillaume Soro
held a crisis meeting with ministers and football officials on 30 March to discuss the tragedy. FIFA President Sepp Blatter
said: "I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Ivorian football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following the tragic deaths in Abidjan yesterday. FIFA has also launched an inquiry into how the tragedy happened". On 9 May 2009 FIFA decided to extend its investigation into the event, they interviewed members of the Ivorian Football Federation, police and other local and national organisations. FIFA had not given a deadline for the conclusion of the investigation.
On 22 July 2009, FIFA fined the Ivorian Football Federation
$47,000 following the enquiry into the stadium tragedy. Football's world governing body imposed a series of safety measures after concluding the long investigation. FIFA also announced a donation of $96,000 to a fund set up for the families of the victims.
Earlier casualties at incidents at football matches in Africa included 127 people killed in 2001 in the Accra (Ghana) Sports Stadium crowd stampede
, 11 people killed in rioting in September 2008 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and eight crushed to death
in June 2008 in Liberia
.
Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, nicknamed "le Félicia", is a multi-purpose stadium, which can host football, rugby and athletics, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. It is the national stadium of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team. It is named after the first president of the country, Félix...
in Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
before a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
match between Malawi
Malawi national football team
The Malawi national football team, nicknamed The Flames, is the national team of Malawi and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi. Before 1966 they were known as the Nyasaland national football team...
and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. Nineteen people were killed and more than 130 were injured. In an attempt to control the ensuing stampede police fired tear gas into the crowds, who had begun jostling with each other at least 40 minutes before kick off
Kick Off
The Kick Off franchise is a series of football simulation computer games which was highly popular in the early 1990s. The series is renowned for its fast-paced action and delicate ball control scheme....
. The match was particularly popular amongst locals with world stars such as Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
, Sol Bamba and Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
due to play for the Côte d'Ivoire.
The match was the first match in Group 5 of Round 3 of the CAF zonal qualifying. It was played despite the deaths occurring before kick off, and was won 5–0 by Côte d'Ivoire. Officials have said that ticketless football fans were to blame for the stampede. Ivory Coast Prime Minister Guillaume Soro
Guillaume Soro
Guillaume Kigbafori Soro has served as the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire since 4 April 2007...
held a crisis meeting with ministers and football officials on 30 March to discuss the tragedy. FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
said: "I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Ivorian football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following the tragic deaths in Abidjan yesterday. FIFA has also launched an inquiry into how the tragedy happened". On 9 May 2009 FIFA decided to extend its investigation into the event, they interviewed members of the Ivorian Football Federation, police and other local and national organisations. FIFA had not given a deadline for the conclusion of the investigation.
On 22 July 2009, FIFA fined the Ivorian Football Federation
Fédération Ivoirienne de Football
The Fédération Ivoirienne de Football is the governing body of football in Côte d'Ivoire and is in charge of the Côte d'Ivoire national team amongst other footballing matters...
$47,000 following the enquiry into the stadium tragedy. Football's world governing body imposed a series of safety measures after concluding the long investigation. FIFA also announced a donation of $96,000 to a fund set up for the families of the victims.
Earlier casualties at incidents at football matches in Africa included 127 people killed in 2001 in the Accra (Ghana) Sports Stadium crowd stampede
Accra Sports Stadium disaster
The Accra Sports Stadium disaster occurred at the Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana on May 9, 2001. It took the lives of 127 people, making it the worst stadium disaster to have ever taken place in Africa. It occurred during a match between Ghana's two most successful football teams, Accra Hearts...
, 11 people killed in rioting in September 2008 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and eight crushed to death
Crush syndrome
Crush syndrome is a medical condition characterized by major shock and renal failure after a crushing injury to skeletal muscle...
in June 2008 in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.