CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe has pledged a strong response to the rising incidents of violence at football stadiums across Africa, insisting that the safety of fans must be a top priority.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra on Friday, Dr. Motsepe said CAF is “steadfastly committed to ensuring that stadiums are safe spaces where our football spectators, fans, and supporters can feel comfortable and secure, including from a health perspective.”
The assurance came after JoySports, Razak Musbau, questioned the CAF President about the recent violent incidents across the continent — including the deadly tragedy in Guinea last December that reportedly claimed over 50 lives, clashes between Esperança and Mamelodi Sundowns fans during a CAF Champions League match in South Africa, and a fatal incident involving a fan in Ghana.
Motsepe stressed that the Confederation views any injury, let alone a death, at a stadium as deeply unacceptable.
“To have a single fan injured at a stadium is something that we do not want to experience under any circumstances,” he said.
“And worse still, to have a single fan lose their life is something that we can never take enough precautionary measures against.”
He revealed that CAF is currently undertaking a thorough review of international best practices to improve stadium safety across Africa.
“The starting point is to look at what other countries are doing,” Motsepe explained.
“We are assessing where and in which stadiums the safest environments have been created for spectators.”
According to Motsepe, the CAF Secretariat is leading efforts to engage with experts in Europe and other parts of the world to study proven methods for maintaining order and safety during football matches.
“There is an ongoing process. The determination and the commitment are very deep and steadfast,” he assured.
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