CURRENT REPORT BLOG While celebrating their nation’s first win at the present Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, six Guinean fans lost their lives.
The incident happened during a festive gathering in the streets of Conakry, Guinea’s city, the Guinean Football Federation, Feguifoot, said on Monday.
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Guinea won 1-0 on Friday, thanks to a goal from Aguibou Camara, which increased their prospects of advancing to the tournament’s knockout stage.
Following the win, supporters in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, took to the streets to celebrate in motorbikes and vehicles.
The country’s FA have appealed for fans to celebrate in a measured fashion to avoid further tragedy.
According to Agence France Presse, there were injuries from traffic accidents and three fatalities from a high-speed collision involving two vehicles.
To prevent more tragedies, the nation’s Football Association has urged supporters to enjoy their victories moderately.
“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.
The legendary Pascal Feindouno of Guinea, who made three straight quarterfinal appearances for the national team between 2004 and 2008, added his voice to the calls for composure.
Feindouno called on the people to support the country but don’t do anything to harm each other or oneself,’ claiming that the news of fan deaths could destabilize the team.
