With the celebrations finally settling down in Dakar, nearly two weeks since Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations final, there’s been time to reflect on one of the more memorable, and most tragic, of AFCONs.
Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties in the final in Yaounde, to win their first title and bring the curtain down on a fiesta of African football that showcased the best of the continent’s talent on the field.
The competition also shone some light on many of the broader issues facing the sport, so as while the money and land get dished out and the stadium named after Sadio Mane gets drawn up, ESPN examines what the AFCON showed us about the state of African football in 2022.
In memoriam
Any review of the tournament cannot begin without acknowledgement of the tragic stampede at the Stade d’Olembe on January 24, ahead of hosts Cameroon’s Round of 16 meeting with Comoros.
Eight people lost their lives in the tragedy, with a further 38 injured, as one of African football’s familiar wounds was pursed open once again.
CAF, in the aftermath of the disaster, withdrew the quarterfinal from the stadium — pending an investigation — and vowed to establish the causes of the tragedy before putting in place measures to ensure there would be no repeat.
The semifinal and final took place at the Stade d’Olembe, without incident, but it remains to be seen whether the deaths will have a lasting impact or be yet another chapter in African football’s sorry history of stadium disasters.
“We can’t say that things in Africa will be at lower levels than global standards,” CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe told ESPN in the aftermath of the incident.
“Whether it’s safety or security, we have to ensure we’re in line with Europe and the rest of the world.
“Even in the best stadiums there are…
Source : espn
