Another tragedy at Cotonou's Stade Général Mathieu-Kérékou. At least two people were killed and several injured in a stampede during the Benin-Senegal 1-1 match on Saturday, which was part of Day 5 of the Ivory Coast 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
This is the kind of news that sport would like to do without. A number of people were killed at the Stade du Général Mathieu Kérékou in Cotonou. The sporting public turned out en masse to watch the match between Benin's Guépards and Senegal's Lions of Teranga. No one wanted to be told about the event, as two-time African Golden Ball winner Sadio Mané and the reigning African champions were in Cotonou.
"I saw people fainting without help".
Around ten minutes before kick-off, an abnormal scene caught the attention of the stadium. The public watched in amazement as people jostled in the bassse W4 stand. "People were dropping like flies. Many were trampled, asphyxiated and some stuck to the railings. People were screaming for water. The fastest were dropped and rescued on the ground. I saw people fainting without help. Some supporters had to take off their clothes to breathe and resuscitate these people. Frankly, it was unbelievable," testifies Eudes, 23.
"We left the door wide open. I saw people come in en masse. When the scene started, the stewards downstairs, instead of warning their colleagues outside to close the door, were there advising people to go next door while they were trapped. There was pressure from the fans at the entrance which prevented the others from moving. That's what caused the stampede," says Achirou Arouna. The W4 entrance to the stadium was packed with people, even though there was already a tide of supporters in the stand. When the flow of people was not controlled, the worst happened. Alerted by the stadium announcer, the fire brigade rushed to the scene to administer first aid to the injured. One fan died on the spot, while a second was evacuated to Ménontin hospital but did not survive his injuries.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Benin Football Federation expressed its bitterness. "The President of the Benin Football Federation and his Executive Committee were deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of supporters during the BENIN vs SENEGAL match. Pending the determination of responsibility, I would like to offer, on behalf of the Executive Committee, all those involved in football and on my own behalf, the most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families," wrote the FBF press release.
"The organisation was not up to scratch".
Inside the stadium, the fans crowded into W4 while the other sectors were still able to hold people. It is clear that there was a security failure. While police officers usually screen people at the entrance to the esplanade, on Saturday 17 June 2023 they failed to do so. "I had a ticket marked W1, N1, N4. I went up to a policeman to find out which entrance was for my ticket. He told me to get lost instead of saying he didn't know. It was a gentleman who finally pointed me in the right direction, even though the entrance was next door", lamented one fan. Even without a ticket or accreditation for the match, almost all the fans stormed the stadium entrances, while a number of VIPs rubbed shoulders with the tide of supporters at the main entrance.
Journalist and sports reporter Evrard Djissou points the finger at the organisation. "It's a deplorable and sad situation because we're talking about deaths and injuries. People who left home to support the Benin team never came back. We never wanted that to happen. We have to have the courage to say that the organisation was not up to scratch. In the stand where the scenes took place, there was an overflow".
A tripartite official
48 hours before the meeting, the Beninese government announced that admission would be free. People were invited to collect tickets from nine distribution points. But while many people queued to get their tickets, others hijacked them and sold them for FCFA 1,000 or FCFA 1,500 on the stadium esplanade on the day of the match. As well as the police, who were unable to control the flow of supporters, responsibility for the entire organisation is shared with the Office de Gestion des Stades du Bénin, the Ministry of Sport and the Benin Football Federation.
In 2019, a similar outburst was recorded during the Benin 2-1 Togo match, which saw Benin qualify for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Confederation of African Football could bang its fist on the table in view of the recurrence of such scenes in Benin.
