Patrice Motsepe
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe says the continent’s governing body will take responsibility for the deaths of at least eight people at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
A crush at the gates of the Olembe Stadium on Monday night, during Cameroon’s round-of-16 match against Comoros, saw dozens taken to hospital in Yaounde, while the death toll rose from six to eight on Tuesday. Supporters were trampled when a stadium barrier at the south entrance gave way as fans tried to pour into the stadium.
At a news conference at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde on Tuesday afternoon, Motsepe said it was CAF’s responsibility to ensure the safety of all fans at their events.
The South African billionaire, who stood with his head bowed in a moment of silence ahead of the news conference, said he will host a meeting with the Cameroonian Organising Committee on Wednesday in order to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Motsepe said: “Legally, the organising committee is responsible for safety and security, but we’re their partners, and we have to make sure of it. The last thing I’m interested in is saying that it’s someone else’s responsibility and not mine.
“We have to take collective responsibilities and deal with the legalities later. I have to be absolutely satisfied that what happened will never happen again, absolutely never happen again.”
The Mamelodi Sundowns owner added: “When people lose their lives, you must be angry, impatient, ask questions and demand guarantees that it will never happen again.
“This is why there’s no tolerance — zero tolerance — around the circumstances [of Monday’s tragedy].”
The post CAF Accepts Responsibility For AFCON Stampede appeared first on DailyGuide Network.
