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| Albert Ebosse died after being hit by a rock on Saturday night |
This is awful news coming from Algeria... report from Yahoo
Albert Ebosse, a striker from Cameroon,
died in the hospital Saturday night after being hit as players left the
field following a 2-1 loss for his club, JS Kabylie. Ebosse had scored
his side's equalizer from a penalty in Saturday's game before they went
on to lose 2-1 at home to USM Alger in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou.
The
24-year-old Ebosse, the leading goal-scorer in the Algerian league last
season, was apparently hit by the rock hurled from a section of JS
Kabylie supporters angry at their team's loss. Ebosse was struck as
players walked off after the game and fans began throwing rocks at them.
He was taken to the hospital around 500 meters away from the stadium,
where he died.
''We expect
exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence,''
Issa Hayatou, the president of the African confederation, said in a
statement on Sunday.
Algeria's
interior ministry ordered that a police investigation be opened into
Ebosse's death, JS Kabylie said in a statement on the club's website.
Ebosse ''succumbed to a head injury,'' JS Kabylie said. There were no immediate reports of any other players being hurt.
The president of Algeria's professional league said he was present at the game but left minutes before the incident.
''I
am still finding this tragic death hard to grasp because I was at the
stadium just minutes before this tragic incident and Albert Ebosse was
still running in all senses of the word before my eyes,'' Mahfoud
Kerbadj said.
The Algeria
Football Federation and the professional league both ordered emergency
meetings over Ebosse's death. Officials from JS Kabylie and the match
officials were summoned to a special meeting on Monday, league president
Kerbadj said, and the stadium where the incident took place was closed
until further notice.
Algeria
Football Federation President Mohamed Raouraoua said he hoped that ''the
perpetrators of this unspeakable act are severely punished.''
Ebosse
joined Kabylie last year and became an immediate success, scoring 17
goals last season as his team finished second to USM Alger, the
opponents on Sunday, in Algeria's top league. Algiers team USM Alger
also offered its condolences.
''JS
Kabylie's Cameroonian striker has lost his life after being hit in the
head by something launched from the stands,'' USM Alger said. ''This
terrible news is saddening for football in our nation and in Cameroon
and arrives like a bombshell.''
Ebosse's body was transferred to a military hospital in preparation for it to be flown home to Cameroon, his club said.
