President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has vowed to deal with the rising incidents of match violence at the various stadia across Africa.Match violence and hooliganism are on the rise in Africa, with the incident leading to several deathsin Guinea last December.Over 50 lives were reportedly lost following the clashes between Esperana and Mamelodi Sundowns fans during a CAF Champions League match in South Africa.Speaking at a media briefing in Accra on Friday, Dr. Motsepe said CAF is steadfastly committed to ensuring that stadiums are safe spaces where our football spectators, fans, and supporters can feel comfortable and secure, including from a health perspective.Motsepe stressed that the Confederation views any injury, let alone a death, at a stadium as deeply unacceptable.To have a single fan injured at a stadium is something that we do not want to experience under any circumstances, he said.And worse still, to have a single fan lose their life is something that we can never take enough precautionary measures against.He revealed that CAF is currently undertaking a thorough review of international best practices to improve stadium safety across Africa.The starting point is to look at what other countries are doing, Motsepe explained.We are assessing where and in which stadiums the safest environments have been created for spectators.According to Motsepe, the CAF Secretariat is leading efforts to engage with experts in Europe and other parts of the world to study proven methods for maintaining order and safety during football matches.There is an ongoing process. The determination and the commitment are very deep and steadfast, he assured.
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I will deal with hooliganism at stadia – CAF president Patrice Motsepe vows
