Team 'heard of deaths' before game

By Steve Vickers
BBC Sport

Large numbers of fans tried to get into the packed stadium

A member of the Malawi team says that his side were aware before start of the World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast that fans had died.

At least 19 people lost their lives and 132 were injured, as a wall collapsed as fans tried to get into the packed stadium on Sunday.

Malawi defender Elvis Kafoteka has now told the BBC's Network Africa programme that his team saw disturbing scenes before kick-off.

"As we were coming back from the warm-up and heading to the dressing room we saw people, like women and a couple of guys [aged] 10 or 15 being led by Red Cross guys," he said.

"There was a lot of blood, some had fainted and they were being carried [away] by Red Cross guys."

"We heard that some people had died before the match, but we tried to shift our focus to the game.

"We thought that maybe the referee would ask us to pay one minute's silence, but nothing was said, so we just carried on."

The president of the Ivory Coast Football Federation, Jacques Anouma, told the BBC's French Service that he was not aware of the deaths until well into the game.

"We knew very late as to the number of victims, after the second half," he said.

"If the match commissioner felt that [the game] could continue, then we continue."

The incident occurred when a wall collapsed at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium shortly before Ivory Coast beat Malawi 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

Meanwhile, three days of national mourning have been declared by President Laurent Gbagbo, beginning on Wednesday.

Football's world governing body, Fifa, has asked for a minute's silence to be observed before the kick-off of the World Cup qualifiers being played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Striker Salomon Kalou expressed his sorrow to the injured fans and the families of those who died.

"They need to feel we are behind them because they came to support us and unfortunately things went badly. I don't do this alone but with all the team," he said.