The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has initiated an investigation into a violent incident that marred the CAF Confederation Cup match between ASC Jaraaf and USM Alger in Senegal.
Viral videos circulating on social media captured chaotic scenes of fans from both teams engaging in physical altercations. The incident has raised concerns about fan behaviour and stadium security in African football.
"CAF is aware of an incident that occurred during the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup fixture between ASC Jaraaf and USM Alger in Senegal on Sunday, 08 December 2024," CAF said in a statement on Monday.
The matter has been referred to the competent CAF bodies for further investigation.
Allegations
USM Alger, the visiting team, released a statement condemning the violence and shared images of injured fans.
They alleged that their supporters were attacked by home fans despite being assigned specific seating areas.
“Following the unfortunate events that took place during our match against Senegalese club Jaraaf, which included attacks by the home team's fans on our dear supporters, we are publishing photos documenting these attacks that resulted in injuries among our team's fans,” USM Algers said.
However, ASC Jaraaf countered these claims, stating that the USM Alger fans had ignored security protocols and provoked the incident. The club also claimed that the Algerian supporters had entered the stadium through unauthorised gates.
The extent of injuries and casualties remains unclear. However, the incident underscores the urgent need for improved security measures and fan education to prevent future outbreaks of violence at football matches.
This incident comes on the heels of a tragic stampede at a football stadium in Guinea last week, after rival fans turned violent, which resulted in at least 135 deaths.
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