Not less than eight people were killed and about 50 injured following a stampede before the Africa Cup of Nations game between tournament hosts Cameroon and Comoros.
The incident occurred before Monday’s round-of-16 tie in the Olembe area of the capital Yaounde.
Reports say fans were involved in a crush as they attempted to make their way into the Paul Biya Stadium, a 60,000 capacity arena named after Cameroon’s President.
In a video trending online, football fans were seen struggling to get access to the stadium with Skysports reporting that “half a dozen deaths and dozens have been injured.”
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African football ruling body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the incident in a statement late Monday night, saying that investigation is ongoing.
The statement read, “CAF is aware of the incident that took place at Olembe Stadium during the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations fixture between hosts Cameroon and Comoros tonight, 24 January 2022.
“CAF is currently investigating the situation and trying to get more details on what transpired. We are in constant communication with Cameroon government and the Local Organizing Committee.
“Tonight, the CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe sent the General Secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba to visit the supporters in hospital in Yaoundé.”
The stadium, which hosted the tournament’s opening ceremony, was built in preparation for the delayed competition, which kicked off earlier this month.
Stadiums have been operating at 80 per cent capacity during the Africa Cup of Nations due to restrictions placed on organisers because of the coronavirus pandemic.
