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Thirteen years ago, Nyayo Stadium tragedy shook Kenyan football, claiming seven lives, highlighting safety concerns and the need for change.
Today marks 13 years since the darkest night in Kenyan football at Nyayo National Stadium.
On the evening of Saturday, October 23, 2011, the beautiful game turned into a nightmare as seven fans lost their lives during a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match between arch-rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.
In addition to the tragic loss of lives, 20 others were left seriously injured. This fateful night left an indelible mark on Kenyan football and serves as a haunting reminder of the importance of safety and organisation in sporting events.
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About halfway through the first half of the match, chaos erupted when a spectator rushed onto the field, urgently warning the referee about the unfolding tragedy: "People are being crushed to death," the KPL website reported.
This horrifying revelation sent shockwaves through the stadium as fans began to realise the gravity of the situation.
Ambulances rushed in, carrying away the injured and the deceased. Despite the chaos, the match eventually resumed after a 10-minute break, with Gor Mahia ultimately winning 1-0.
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The tragic event led to the ban of night league matches which still stands to date with only the national team, Harambee Stars, and clubs participating in continental assignments allowed to play after dusk.
Jack Oguda, the then KPL CEO who was running the league at that time, expressed his bewilderment at the circumstances leading to the tragedy, given that the stadium was not even at full capacity.
"A gate was broken into by fans forcing their way into the stadium," Oguda said as per BBC. "Access was limited, and they got agitated, and that’s why they forced their way in. We'll start an inquiry into the matter to establish why fans could not access the stadium."
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Zedekiah Otieno, the coach of Gor Mahia at the time, emphasized that the safety of fans should always be paramount.
He called for improved management to ensure that gates are open on time to prevent the kind of mad rush that occurred during this critical match.
The Nyayo Stadium had witnessed a previous tragedy in 2005 during a World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Morocco, where at least one person was trampled to death.
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In the aftermath, FIFA imposed a two-year ban on the stadium, leading to a reduction in its capacity from 35,000 to 25,000.
Despite this warning, the events of that fateful night in 2011 repeated themselves, further underscoring the need for stringent safety measures in football stadiums.
Tragically, the Nyayo Stadium disaster was not an isolated incident in African football.
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Over the past decade, hundreds of fans have lost their lives in riots and stampedes during football games across the continent.
In many cases, poorly-equipped security forces struggled to control the crowds, leading to devastating consequences.
The victims of the Nyayo Stadium disaster - David Ochieng' Oundo, Victor Juma Okoth, Winnie Karimi Kinyua, Frankline Onimu Kiribwa, Stephen Ochieng' Onyango and others - met their untimely demise at Gate Two of Nyayo Stadium while awaiting clearance to access the venue and witness the Mashemeji Derby.
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The stampede that led to this tragic loss of lives was instigated by hundreds of impatient fans who forcibly pulled down the gate to enter the match venue, minutes after the game had kicked off at 7 PM.
Adding to the chaos, the skies opened up, further intensifying the urgency among fans to get inside.
Reports even suggested that some fans without match tickets had orchestrated the commotion in an attempt to gain free entry into the stadium, highlighting the desperate lengths some would go to in their passion for the sport.
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The Nyayo Stadium disaster stands as a stark reminder of the need for comprehensive safety measures and responsible management in football stadiums across the continent. It is a somber testament to the tragic consequences of overcrowding, inadequate security, and the unchecked passion of fans.
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