Fifa Fine Ivory Coast After Fans Die

World football’s governing body FIFA has fined Ivory Coast’s football federation and imposed crowd restrictions following a deadly stampede at Abidjan’s main stadium last March.

Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee said only 20 000 spectators could be allowed into the stadium for the Ivorians’ next World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in Abidjan on September 5, instead of the capacity crowd of 34,600.

It also fined the Ivorian Football Association 50 000 Swiss francs (47 000 dollars, 33 000 euros), FIFA said in a statement.

Twenty people died and more than 130 were injured in the stampede at Abidjan’s Houphouet-Boigny stadium on March 29 before a 2010 World Cup qualifying match between Ivory Coast and Mali. Other restrictions including traffic and spectator control cordons away from the stadium itself were imposed to filter access.

Fifa said that it would also donate 100 000 Swiss francs to support the families of victims of the stadium disaster.