By Daily Sports on January 25, 2022

African football supremo Patrice Motsepe says an “inexplicable” decision to keep an entry gate closed was responsible for the deadly crush which killed eight people before an Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroonian capital Yaounde on Monday.

“That gate was supposed to be open because if it was open they would have walked through, and for inexplicable reasons it was closed,” the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“If that gate was open as it was supposed to, we wouldn’t have had this problem we have now, this loss of life. Who closed that gate? Who is responsible for that gate?”

Eight people died, including one child, and 38 were injured as fans attempted to enter the Olembe Stadium where the hosts Cameroon were playing the Comoros, according to figures released by the country’s health ministry.

A baby was reportedly one of those trampled by the crowd and was in a “medically stable” condition, the health ministry added.

Communications Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said that of 38 people injured, seven were seriously hurt.

Motsepe called for a probe after Cameroon’s President Paul Biya earlier ordered an investigation “so that all light is shed on this tragic incident,” according to Sadi.

The tragedy happened at gates where final ticket checks are supposed to take place.

“It was when the police opened the gates that people fell and others trampled on top of them,” said Professor Andre Omgbwa Eballe, director of the Olembe district hospital who attended the match.

“I saw the bravery of the Cameroonian people. People were resuscitating others, doing mouth to mouth, otherwise there would have been more deaths,” he told AFP TV.

One man in his 30s who was caught in the crush told AFP that it was “complete chaos” at the entrance to the stadium as supporters without tickets tried to force their way in.

“I arrived a quarter of an hour before kick-off. I had my ticket, but all of a sudden a group of people without tickets arrived and tried to force their way through and we found ourselves pushed up against the fences,” said the supporter, who gave his name as Stephane.

“I was crushed up against a woman who said she couldn’t breathe. Eventually the gate gave in and I was able to get through, but it was complete chaos.” (AFP)

•PHOTO: Motsepe

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 25, 2022

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