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Fatal Stadium Crush Occurs Before Senegal and Madagascar Nations Cup Qualifier

Fatal Stadium Crush Occurs Before Senegal and Madagascar Nations Cup Qualifier
Gary Connaughton
By Gary Connaughton
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One person has died and another 37 injured after a stadium crush before the African Cup of Nations qualifier between Madagascar and Sadio Mané's Senegal. Two of those injured remain in a critical condition.

French radio service RFI are reporting that a stampede occurred before kick-off at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Madagascar's capital of Antananarivo.

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Thousands of people had been queuing outside the 22,000 capacity stadium for hours in the build-up to the game hoping to catch a glimpse of the star-studded visiting team, with a number of familiar names such as Keita Baldé Diao and Kalidou Koulibaly set to be on display.

The incident is believed to have been brought about after rumours began to circulate amongst the crowd that tickets for the game had almost sold out. The gates of the stadium were then closed, with people towards the top of the queue crushed as those towards the back moved forward.

The game went ahead as planned despite the serious nature of the event, finishing in a 2-2 draw.

This is another example of the stadium disasters that have plagued African football over the last number of years. A similar incident in Abidjan killed 19 before Ivory Coast's game with Malawi in 2009, while eight people died in a stadium crush in Senegal's capital of Dakar last year.

SEE ALSO: Watch: Brian Kerr Slams 'Shambles' At The Heart Of Irish Football

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