Cameroonian striker Albert Ebosse died yesterday, after being struck in the head by a rock thrown by spectators following JS Kabylie’s 2-1 loss in the Algerian top league. Ebosse scored the equalizer before his team went on to lose the match 2-1 at home to USM Alger.
Ebosse was the leading scorer in the Algerian League last season and was struck after the match as fans showered the team with rocks following their loss. Ebosse had previously played in Malaysia, as well as his home country of Cameroon. He led the Algerian league last year with 19 goals, and had two in two matches to open the new season.
The Algerian Football Federation has postponed league games “in protest at the irresponsible actions of certain fanatics and hooligans who resort to violence in the stadiums which has reached an unacceptable level.” The stadium was still under construction and fans found the rocks just lying around the venue. It is said that a key question in the investigation is why the venue was used when construction works were still in progress.
The state prosecutor from Tizi Ouzhou said that an investigation will be opened and Sepp Blatter chimed in on Twitter expressing his outrage. "Intolerable that a fan causes a player's death. Stop the violence. My emotional thoughts go to Albert Ebosse's family. RIP"
Intolérable qu’un spectateur provoque la mort d’un joueur. Stop à la violence! Mes pensées émues aux proches d’Albert Ebossé. RIP
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) August 25, 2014
The AFA said it will look into further action following the tragic event which may include the expulsion of the club at fault “from all competitions."
The Algerian daily newspaper El Watan suggested, “this tragedy surprises nobody. For years now violence has crept into the stadiums and spills over sometimes onto the streets, bringing with it a climate of fear and insecurity in our cities.”
Another newspaper, Liberte, said the incident, “could have happened in any Algerian stadium, as violence is general and systematic.”
Libya just withdrew from hosting the 2017 African Cup of Nations and the AFA president Mohamed Raourasoua claimed that his nation was prepared to host the event if called upon.
In light of this recent act of violence, however, it seems unlikely Algeria will be able to make a strong case to host the 2017 Cup. After all, this incident has demonstrated an ability to protect the players on the field, nevermind the thousands of fans and guests at the event.
Ebosse leaves behind a baby daughter. He was 24. Our heart goes out to his family.
