Guinea have urged their supporters to “celebrate carefully” in future after several fans were killed in the aftermath of the 1-0 win against the Gambia on Friday.
Kaba Diawara’s side face Senegal on Tuesday in a clash between the top two in Group C against a backdrop of tragedy and concern.
A number of supporters were killed amid scenes of celebration on Friday and, with only a draw required against already qualified Senegal to reach the knockout stages amid the sorrow back home, the “deeply saddened” Guinea Football Federation on Sunday issued a statement on social media urging fans to “celebrate carefully and take care of yourself”. The federation also released a video from the team asking supporters to celebrate responsibly.
“What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion,” the federation’s media manager, Amadou Makadji, told the BBC. “They have to be very careful to not put themselves in danger, because the goal of football is to bring joy and not leave families bereaved.
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“We do not want deaths to mourn, so we call on everyone to celebrate but to take care of themselves so that nothing happens to them. Guinea is a country where people are very, very passionate about football and they experience football like nowhere else in the world.”