A Crowd Crush and Clash at a Soccer Match in Guinea Leaves 56 Dead

A stampede triggered by a controversial refereeing decision killed at least 56 people, according to a preliminary government statement. Images and videos posted online, which Reuters could not verify, showed bodies lined up on the ground. Hospital wards and a morgue were full of bodies, according to one doctor.

Guinea’s prime minister condemned the violence and called for calm in a post on the social media platform X. His predecessor, former President Alpha Conde, expressed his “profound sadness and boundless outrage” in a separate post.

Disputed penalty

The chaotic scenes were caused by a dispute over a penalty. “This (disputed penalty) angered supporters who threw stones, so security forces used tear gas,” local news website Media Guinea said.

A crush of people trying to flee the stadium triggered panic and a stampede, media reports say. Some jumped a high fence and rushed down streets. Others were caught in the chaos as police fired tear gas, witnesses told CNN. Some were children.

Hospital sources told AFP that bodies were filling emergency rooms and refrigerators in the city of Nzerekore, Guinea’s second-largest. “The situation is terrible,” one doctor said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The deadly incident occurred during a match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams in the city of Sakouvogi. It was part of a tournament organized by Guinea’s ruling military junta to promote the presidential candidacy of military leader Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in 2021. An opposition political coalition, the National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy, called for an investigation into the incident.

Angry supporters

The stadium was packed to the rafters, and many were caught in the crush when the stampede broke out. Many who were able to run out did so, while others scaled walls in panic and chaos.

Video circulating on social media showed a section of the stadium filled with shouting fans protesting the refereeing decisions. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds, local media reported. Some of the dead were children, Media Guinea, a news website, said.

The final was part of a soccer tournament held in honor of the leader of Guinea’s military junta, Mamady Doumbouya. Doumbouya seized power in a coup last year and is seeking a presidential run in elections next year.

The government deplored the incident in a statement on X, and promised an investigation. The prime minister, Bah Oury, urged calm. “Let us be careful to prevent the spread of this violence, in order that medical services can operate without hindrance,” he said. Checkpoints were set up in Nzerekore, and internet access was blocked in the area.

Tear gas

A referee’s controversial decision turned into violence at a soccer match in Guinea, with dozens dead in the resulting stampede. The deaths occurred during the final of a tournament that was honoring a military leader in Nzerekore, one of the country’s largest cities.

A disputed call prompted supporters to begin throwing stones at the stadium, prompting security forces to use tear gas to disperse the crowd, according to media reports. In the chaos, many people were trampled trying to escape the stadium. Videos geolocated by CNN showed fans scrambling to flee, including some who scaled walls. Others were laying injured on the ground.

The government condemned the incident, saying it was working to restore order. It also offered condolences to the families of those who died. The Prime Minister, Amadou Oury Bah, urged calm in a statement posted on the X platform, noting that regional authorities were working to restore public safety. But the National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy opposition coalition has accused the government of using the event to drum up support for military leader Mamady Doumbouya. The military has led the West African nation since soldiers ousted President Alpha Conde in 2021.

Clashes

Thousands of people were caught up in a crush at a football stadium in Guinea after clashes erupted over a disputed penalty during a local tournament final, and authorities deployed tear gas to control the crowd. The government has promised an investigation, and health officials said dozens were killed in the chaos on Sunday afternoon in Nzerekore. Witnesses described scenes of panic and people rushing for the exit, with some climbing over walls to escape. Many were children, according to a statement from the National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy opposition coalition.

The government has initiated an investigation to identify those responsible for the stampede, and regional authorities are working to restore calm, communications minister Fana Soumah told a televised news conference. He paid tribute to the dozens of dead and vowed full medical and psychological support for those injured. He also called on the public to respect freedom of expression, saying that sport should unite people not cause “tragedy and grief”. Amid heightened security, police patrolled the streets and set up checkpoints throughout Nzerekore, a city of about 200,000.

Deaths

At least 56 people died Sunday in a crush of bodies and clashes at a soccer match in Guinea after fans took exception to a disputed call by the referee. The stampede erupted during the final of a local tournament between teams from Nzerekore and Labe in a stadium in Nzerekore, one of Guinea’s largest cities, according to local media.

Supporters of the visiting team threw stones, prompting security to use tear gas, media site Guineenews reported. The incident triggered panic and a stampede as fans tried to flee, local media and witnesses said. Footage shared on social media showed spectators climbing over walls in their attempts to escape.

Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah confirmed the deaths in a post on the X platform, but did not specify a number. He urged regional authorities to work to restore calm and promised an investigation. The National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy opposition coalition said the tournament was organized by a military junta to drum up support for its leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, in an attempt to boost his presidential bid in 2025.