Tragedy at Ivory Coast Match

Tragedy struck at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny stadium in Abidjan, Ivory-Coast before Sundays World Cup qualifier between Les Elefants and Malawi. A stampede at the stadium killed 22 and wounded 132 as fans pushed to get into the stadium before the match kicked off. The initial pushing by fans was compounded by the police firing tear gas into the crowd. Adding to the calamitous situation was the collapse of a wall from the weight of the fans as they pushed toward the field.
Didier Drogba had this to say about the tragedy: "Football is nothing. You are talking about the deaths of 19 people. When things like that happen it makes you realise how much people care about their country and their team."
Midfielder Yaya Toure had this to say:
"After the game I spoke with the captain, Didier Drogba, my brother (Kolo Toure) and the coach. Behind this victory was a tragedy and it's difficult because they are Ivory Coast supporters and we know them well," Toure said Monday. "We have to go as far as we can in this competition for all the people who died."
In response to the tragedy,World Cup 2010 organizer Danny Joordan said that stadium stampedes will not be a problem when the 2010 Mundial arrives.

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