Filed under: African Sports Wire, Feature, Sports
Players Devasted by Fan Deaths During World Cup Qualifier
- Les Joueurs Ivoiriens Dévastés par la Mort de Fans lors d’un Match de Qualification pour la Coupe du Monde
- Ghana beats Nigeria 2-1
- Zambia wins while Nigeria nurses its wounds
- Charity Match to feature Great African Soccer Players
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Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou expressed shock and disbelief at the extent of fan injuries sustained during a tragedy at yesterday’s soccer match in Cote D’Ivoire against Malawi. A wall collapsed at game kickoff and 19 fans were killed and 130 injured as they tried to flee.
The players were aware that something had gone wrong but did not realize the extent of the injuries until after the game. In an interview with The Sun, Kalou’s adviser stated that Kalou was devasted by the tragedy and pledged to donate his match fees for the rest of the campaign to victims and families.
Their 5-0 win over Malawi was overshadowed by the tragedy as Drogba noted in a statement saying, “Football is nothing, you are talking about the death of 19 people. It’s hard to take.”
Three days of national mourning have been declared by President Laurent Gbagbo, beginning on Wednesday, April 1 2009.
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