Hooliganism results in footballer’s death

THE football world has been left reeling after the shock death of Cameroon International Albert Ebossé, who died from a head injury sustained when a fan threw a projectile at him.

Algerian police are investigating the incident which occurred on Saturday night after a game between Ebossé’s club JS Kabylie, and opponents USM Alger in the city of Tizi Ouzo, 110 km (68 miles) east of Algiers.

Fans, angry at the team’s defeat, began to throw stones at their players. Known as ‘caillassage,’ launching stones and other objects at players has lamentably become commonplace in the Algerian league.

It is reported that Ebossé, aged 24, was in fact his team’s only goal scorer during the side’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of USM Alger, but the entire team were subjected to ‘caillassage’ when leaving the pitch.

Ebossé was rushed to hospital in Tizi Ouzo but was declared dead on arrival.

The Algerian professional football association is today holding an emergency board meeting to discuss the actions to be taken over the incident. The stadium where the incident took place has been closed, and managers and officials are to be questioned.

IssaHayatou,president of the African Football Confederation, has asked for meaningful action to be taken.Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “violence has no place in African football, or in sport in general. African football cannot become a terrain for hooliganism.”

Ebossé signed for JS Kabylie in July of last year, having previously played for the Malaysian team Perak FA. He won six caps with the Cameroon international squad, and had played football for three of the country’s teams.