Six dead from mad AFCON celebrations as Guinea football chiefs plead for 'calm'
Guinea supporters took to the streets to celebrate their Africa Cup of Nations win over The Gambia - but the wild scenes sadly led to a number of tragic incidents
Six people have tragically died in Guinea during wild celebrations after they beat The Gambia in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Fans flooded the streets of the Guinean capital, Conakry, with cars and motorcycles to celebrate, leading to a series of tragic incidents. Three people lost their lives when two vehicles crashed at high speed, while dozens more were injured in various road accidents.
According to reports, many supporters were even driving around on car bonnets in their excitement. It came after Guinea's crucial AFCON win was secured by Aguibou Camara in the second half, pushing Guinea into second place in Group C and bringing them on the brink of reaching the last 16.
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Mohamed Bayo almost doubled their lead but his shot hit the crossbar, and an offside call denied The Gambia a late equaliser. Guinea now only need to avoid defeat against Senegal on Tuesday to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
They held Cameroon in their opening game, who now need a win in their clash with The Gambia to have any hope of progressing. But as Guinea teeter on the edge of reaching the last 16 for the third consecutive AFCON, their fans' celebrations turned deadly.
The Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) has now called for calm ahead of their final group game. They are hoping for a peaceful celebration if Guinea progresses.
"What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion," Feguifoot's 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."
Guinea, a country passionate about football, is neighbouring the tournament hosts, Ivory Coast. If they top their group, they will stay in Yamoussoukro for the second round.
Former star player Pascal Feindouno hopes fans will remain calm if they get a positive result. He was part of a team that reached three quarter-finals between 2004 and 2008, and does not want more families to grieve.
He shared a message with the BBC, saying: "I have a message to send to Guinean men and women. Rest assured that we will do something at the Nations Cup but we have learned something that will destabilise us."
Feindouno continued: "We learned there were deaths after the victory against The Gambia - we want this to stop because we are here to defend the colours of the country. Everything is going well for us at the moment so support the country but don't do anything to kill each other or oneself. Stay calm - thank you."
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