How Six Guinea Fans Died Celebrating AFCON Victory
Six Guinean enthusiasts tragically lost their lives while rejoicing in their nation’s inaugural triumph at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
According to the Guinean Football Federation, Feguifoot, the incident occurred during a celebratory gathering on the streets of Conakry, the capital of Guinea, as fans jubilantly drove cars and rode motorcycles.
The joyous celebrations erupted after Guinea secured a 1-0 victory over The Gambia in their second group game in Ivory Coast on Friday night, spreading elation across the entire West African nation.
“What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion,” Feguifoot media manager Amadou Makadji told BBC Sport Africa.
“They have to be very careful to not put themselves in danger, because the goal of football is to bring joy and not leave families bereaved. We do not want deaths to mourn, so we call on everyone to celebrate but to take care of themselves so that nothing happens to them.
“Guinea is a country where people are very, very passionate about football, and they experience football like nowhere else in the world,” Makadji stated.
READ ALSO: AFCON: Don’t Underrate Guinea-Bissau; It Can Be Dangerous—Fans Tell Super Eagles
Following Aguibou Camara’s decisive goal, Guinea currently occupies the second position in Group C with four points. They trail behind the reigning champions, Senegal, by two points but maintain a three-point lead over third-placed Cameroon, who are five-time winners. On the other hand, the Gambians are at the bottom of the group with one point.
In the midst of these developments, Pascal Feindouno, a prominent player from the Guinea teams that achieved three consecutive quarter-finals between 2004 and 2008, has advised the nation’s fans to remain calm.
“I have a message to send to Guinean men and women,” the 42-year-old, who played at four Nations Cups, told the BBC in Yamoussoukro, where the team is based.
“Rest assured that we will do something at the Nations Cup, but we have learned something that will destabilise us. We learned there were deaths after the victory against The Gambia – we want this to stop because we are here to defend the colours of the country.
“Everything is going well for us at the moment, so support the country, but don’t do anything to kill each other or oneself. Stay calm. Thank you,” he said
The Nations Cup, which kicked off on January 13, 2024, will end with the final in Ivory Coast’s economic capital, Abidjan, on February 11.
(PUNCH)
