Afcon stampede: Caf ring questionable venue changes

Three Africa Cup of Nations matches will change venues in light of Monday’s deadly stadium stampede at the Stade d’Olembe, according to a Confederation of African Football statement as seen by GOAL, although it’s the Stade Japoma in Douala that has been the hardest hit by the rescheduling.

A stampede outside the Stade d’Olembe on Monday evening, ahead of Cameroon’s Round of 16 meeting with the Comoros, resulted in eight deaths, with 38 people injured, seven of whom are in serious condition.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Caf President Dr Patrice Motsepe announced that the Stade d’Olembe would not be permitted to host any further Africa Cup of Nations matches until assurances had been given regarding safety measures in place at the arena.

However, the site of Monday’s tragedy isn’t the only venue to be affected by the fixture changes announced on Wednesday, with the Stade Japoma in Douala losing two matches to Olembe’s one.

The quarter-final—scheduled for Olembe on January 30—has been moved to Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in the centre of the capital, Yaounde, while two of the three matches that were still to be played in Douala have been removed from the city.

Both the 30 January quarter-final in Douala, and the February 2 semi-final scheduled for the country’s economic capital have been taken away from the city—despite there being no security issues reported at Stade Japoma during the competition—and relocated to the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Douala will still host the January 29 quarter-final between Cameroon and Gambia.

Despite the deaths at Olembe on Monday, the stadium is still due to host the second semi-final—which will feature the winner of Cameroon vs Gambia—on Thursday February 3, as well as the final three days later.