Six Guinean supporters have lost their lives while celebrating their country’s first victory at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
Guinea beat The Gambia 1-0 in their second group game in Ivory Coast on Friday night, sparking widespread celebrations across the West African country.
It was however learnt that six people died after fans took to the roads of Conakry, the capital of Guinea, to celebrate in cars and on motorcycles.
The people, it was gathered, died after two vehicles collided at high speed while several dozen others were injured in road accidents.
“What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion.
“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.
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“Guinea is a country where people are very, very passionate about football and they experience football like nowhere else in the world,” the Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) told BBC on Monday.
Pascal Feindouno, one of the star players in the Guinea sides that reached three straight quarter-finals between 2004 and 2008, also urged the country’s fans to be calm.
With Guinea one of the countries that neighbour Ivory Coast, the team is well-supported in the host nation after many fans travelled by road from Conakry, a journey of some 1,000 miles, and elsewhere.
On Tuesday, the 1976 Nations Cup runners-up – bidding to win their first title at the 14th attempt – face Senegal in another West African derby for top spot in the group and the chance to stay in Yamoussoukro for the second round.
The Nations Cup, which kicked off on 13 January, will end with the final in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan on February 11.
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