YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — In late November, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) threatened to take the Africa Cup of Nations away from the Stade Olembe, the new showpiece stadium in Yaoundé, unless “external works” were concluded within 10 days. Those works included an access road and a security fence. It appears that, inadvertently, those features caused the deaths of eight fans during Cameroon’s last-16 victory over Comoros on Monday night. Trapped by the fence, they were trampled to death on the road.
The Olembe lies in a suburb to the far north of Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital. Most fans approach from the south and so make their way up a long avenue toward the South Stands. Tickets are not specific to any part of the ground. Having passed through COVID-19 testing tents and then security, there is a space of about 20 yards over the road to the security fence. There are three gates, but it seems that on Monday only the left-hand one was open.
A clean-up had taken place, but even on Tuesday afternoon, splinters of vuvuzelas, the bright red, yellow and green plastic incongruous against the dusty concrete, a discarded shoe and a discarded sandal and two broken pairs of sunglasses remained. A temporary barrier between the central gate and the left-hand one had been knocked down and still lay buckled over the curb.
