A woman was crushed to death as fans struggled to find their way into the stadium just before the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Zimbabwe Warriors and Congo Brazzaville yesterday in Zimbabwe.
The female soccer fan identified as Mai Tadiwa was trampled upon during the stampede as stadium management failed to control the crowd.
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident. He said;
We are saddened to confirm that a woman died today (yesterday) between 2pm and 3pm and two people were injured at the National Sports Stadium at the match between Zimbabwe and Congo. At Gate 3, there were problems with the ticket scanner and people became impatient since the match was about to start and they began pushing and shoving in trying to gain entrance.
The woman who was in front fell down and was trampled upon by the mob. She was taken to a local hospital where she was confirmed dead after admission. We can also confirm that one person was injured during the stampede and was rushed to the hospital.
His life is not in much danger. We also have a spectator who was injured and admitted to the hospital when he jumped into the stadium towards the end of the match and we have launched full investigations into the incidents.