CAIRO (AP) - The Congo stadium where 15 people were killed in a stampede at a soccer game will host an Africa Champions League match a week after the tragedy.
Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa will remain the venue for the continental club competition group game between AS Vita and Egypt’s Zamalek on Sunday, the Confederation of African Football said.
The crowd would be limited to 5,000 people in the 30,000-seat stadium, CAF said Thursday.
Some 21 were injured when police used tear gas after the crowd became unruly when AS Vita hosted TP Mazembe on the last day of the Congolese league season. A wall and a gate in the newly restored stadium collapsed in the crush, CAF said.
The Cairo-based African soccer body asked Congolese authorities for a report on the tragedy, and the deaths prompted FIFA President Sepp Blatter to send a message of condolence. The Congolese Football Federation had inspected the stadium this week following the stampede, CAF said.
Tata Raphael Stadium is famous for staging the 1974 heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
It was then called 20th of May Stadium, and Congo was known as Zaire.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.