Zimbabwe confirm death of fan

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has confirmed the death of a female fan in a stampede outside the National Stadium in Harare, ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo.

Media reports said that Mai Tadiwa was killed outside an entry gate as impatient fans pushed to enter the stadium amid poor crowd control for what was a vital match for the home side.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of a Warriors supporter, who passed on after being trampled on at the Warriors match yesterday.

“We shall continue to work towards making our admission processes at entry points swifter so that recurrence of such unfortunate events can be avoided,” ZIFA said in a statement on Monday.

Crowd control at stadia across Africa is often haphazard, a situation exacerbated by the fraudulent sale of fake tickets for key games that increase the number of people seeking to enter venues well above the capacity.

The match went ahead, in spite of the tragedy, with Zimbabwe winning 2-0 to seal their place at the continental finals in Egypt in June and July.