The violence took place after some fans were unhappy with the referee’s decision and stormed the pitch, according to witnesses.
CreditCredit...Social media, via Reuters

Clashes at Soccer Match Kill Dozens in Guinea

The military government said 56 people had been killed, but local media reported that the death toll could be as high as 100.

by · NY Times

At least 56 people were killed on Sunday in a crush of bodies and a clash with the police at a soccer match in Guinea, according to the country’s military government and accounts from spectators posted on social media.

The violence erupted when fans, angry over calls by the referees, began throwing stones, which led to the deadly crush, the government said in a statement.

The episode happened during a game between the Labe and Nzerekore teams in Nzerekore, the second-largest city in the West African nation.

Accounts on social media said fans had rushed the field, throwing stones at each other before clashing with security forces.

Local media reports said the death toll from the clashes, the ensuing stampede and protests that followed could be as high as 100. The government said that hospitals had initially reported 56 dead, with “many injured.”

One doctor told Agence France-Presse that the nearby hospital and morgue were filling up with bodies.

Guinea has been ruled by a military junta since its elected government was overthrown three years ago. The soccer tournament was organized to drum up support among young Guineans for the ruling military junta, led by General Mamady Doumbouya.

The Guinean prime minister, Bah Oury, condemned the violence in a statement on X.

“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams this afternoon in Nzerekore,” Mr. Oury said.

The government called for calm “so that hospital services are not hindered in providing first aid to the injured,” Mr. Oury said.

The junta had promised to restore civilian rule by the end of December 2024 but officials have indicated that elections will instead be held next year, though no specific timeline was given.

Nzerekore, which has a population of roughly 200,000 people, is about 555 miles southeast of the capital, Conakry.