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Hello. Today we’re writing about a dreadful, and largely untold, stadium tragedy in Africa. Please be advised: you might find some of the details distressing.
Plus: Roma owner completes Everton takeover, and why team news is hard to keep secret at Manchester United and other big clubs.
Tragedy in Guinea: Stadium disaster cause of at least 135 deaths, say human rights groups
(Adam Leventhal/The Athletic)
A little over two weeks ago, football in the west African state of Guinea was touched by monumental tragedy. Fatal crushing at a game in Nzerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city, left the country in shock.
This is possibly the first you’re hearing of it because, despite it being one of football’s worst ever stadium disasters, it generated few headlines. Official government estimates put the death toll at 56. Human rights organisations in Guinea believe the true number is at least 135 — and set to climb.
Children are among the victims and, to the extreme distress of families and relatives, the fate of many people is still unclear. Spectators inside the ground were trampled during unrest at a game between Nzerekore’s local club and Labe, from the south of Guinea. Trouble in the stands prompted police and security forces to fire tear gas, causing a panic.
Amid the grief, those affected in Nzerekore are angry and want answers. So far, few have been forthcoming. Those affected want to know how a match arranged for the enjoyment of young fans ended with scores dead and injured, or unaccounted for.
Nearly 20,000 people, only three exits
The lack of definitive information coming out of Guinea when the tragedy occurred on December 1 led The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal to travel there in search of the facts. What he found was a city in mourning and, for now, a wall of silence from the authorities.
The match between Nzerekore and Labe was the final of a tournament arranged by a local youth organisation. It was so popular that kick-off was delayed by two and a half hours as the crowd grew. The ground was used to holding 5,000. The actual attendance ran closer to 20,000.
Exit points from the venue numbered just three and, to judge by Adam’s observations, simply too many people trying to escape through them. When trouble broke out and tear gas was fired, supporters raced en masse for the exits, resulting in terrible overcrowding.
Andre Sagno, a local teacher, told Adam: “Suddenly everyone started running and in the chaos, we all went to one door. But then we were being suffocated by the tear gas. There were (also) stones being thrown to the east.” Andre made it out alive. Some around him were not so fortunate.
People still missing
There is such confusion in Nzerekore, and such a lack of information, that the exact death toll is unlikely to be known for a while. A number of those who went to the game have been missing ever since, with no news about their fate.
Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the tragedy, but because the game was not an official fixture, world governing body FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Guinea’s football association, Feguifoot, all say they are not obliged to look into the disaster. The road to justice will be long, with no promise that Nzerekore will get it.
🎙️ The Athletic has a podcast accompanying Adam’s piece that goes into a lot more depth, but please be aware the content might be upsetting.
News round-up
Everton’s fresh start: Friedkin Group takeover completed
It promised a takeover in time for Christmas and by a narrow margin, it’s delivered: in the past couple of hours, the Friedkin Group (TFG) has been confirmed as the new owner of Everton.
The U.S. investment firm spent months working on its buyout after agreeing in principle to purchase the 94 per cent stake held by prior Everton chief Farhad Moshiri. Without putting too fine a point on it, Moshiri checked out of Goodison Park in spirit a while ago. New custodians were essential.
TFG, fronted by businessman and thrill-seeker Dan Friedkin, has a world of work in front of it but of the parties who nibbled at Everton, it had the most credibility. 777 Partners was consumed by crisis. John Textor, the Crystal Palace shareholder, talked a lot without putting any money where his mouth was. A bid involving U.S. company MSD Partners felt reluctant.
It pays to be cautious but TFG — with a $13bn turnover — is arguably as good as it gets for the club at this juncture even if there has been mixed results since it took over at Roma.
Around the grounds: Real win Intercontinental Cup, Jesus is Arsenal saviour with hat-trick
I have no idea how much they’ll be writing home about FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup — the competition to replace the old Club World Cup — but Real Madrid won the inaugural final of it. They outmatched Mexico’s Pachuca (as they were inevitably going to) in Qatar last night, winning 3-0. Props to Vinicius Junior for assisting Kylian Mbappe’s opener, above.
England’s Carabao Cup, meanwhile, went closely with form and perked a few people up. Gabriel Jesus hasn’t scored in the Premier League all season but his hat-trick saw off Crystal Palace 3-2 and took Arsenal into the semi-finals.
Darwin Nunez has been craving goals, too, and got one in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Southampton.
As for Newcastle United, there’s life in them after all. Sandro Tonali scored twice, his first a sweet, sweet hit (below), in a surprisingly simple 3-1 defeat of Brentford. A few coaches in England could do with a trophy this season. Eddie Howe is one of them.
Best of The Athletic FC
Catch a match
(ET/UK time, selected games)
Carabao Cup: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United, 3pm/8pm — Paramount+/Sky Sports.
Conference League (all Paramount+/TNT Sports and 3pm/8pm kick-offs): Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers, Vitoria Guimaraes vs Fiorentina, Rapid Vienna vs Copenhagen.
Coppa Italia, last 16: Inter Milan vs Udinese, 3pm/8pm — Paramount+/Premier Sports.
And finally…
(Everton FC/Liverpool FC)
Stumped for last-gasp Christmas present ideas? Never fear — Caoimhe O’Neill went scouring the merchandise offered by Premier League teams to offer up a few suggestions.
One of the things she discovered is that Manchester United sell their own branded Monopoly set. Of course they do. Maybe if you land on Go, the government pays for a new stadium.
(Top photo: Adam Leventhal/The Athletic)
