Six people have tragically lost their lives in Guinea during exuberant celebrations following their victory against The Gambia in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Enthusiastic fans flooded the streets of the Guinean capital, Conakry, with cars and motorcycles to celebrate, resulting in a series of unfortunate incidents. Three individuals lost their lives in a high-speed collision involving two vehicles, while numerous others sustained injuries in various road accidents.
According to local reports, many supporters were even seen driving on car bonnets in their excitement. The celebrations followed Guinea's crucial AFCON win, secured by Aguibou Camara in the second half, propelling Guinea into second place in Group C and bringing them to the brink of reaching the last 16.
Mohamed Bayo nearly doubled their lead, but his shot hit the crossbar, and an offside call ruled out a late equaliser for The Gambia. Guinea now only needs to avoid defeat against Senegal on Tuesday to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
In their opening game, Guinea held Cameroon, who now require a victory in their match against The Gambia to have any hope of progressing. However, as Guinea teeters on the edge of reaching the last 16 for the third consecutive AFCON, the celebrations of their fans took a tragic turn.
The Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) has now appealed for calm ahead of their final group game, expressing the hope for a peaceful celebration should Guinea progress.
"What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion," Feguifoot's media manager Amadou Makadji told BBC Sport Africa. "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."
Guinea, a nation fervent about football, share a border with the tournament hosts, Ivory Coast. Should they lead their group, they will remain in Yamoussoukro for the second round.
Pascal Feindouno, a former star player, wishes for fans to maintain composure in the event of a positive outcome. He played a role in a team that reached three quarter-finals between 2004 and 2008 and is keen to prevent further sorrow among families.
He shared a message with the BBC, saying: "I have a message to send to Guinean men and women. Rest assured that we will do something at the Nations Cup but we have learned something that will destabilise us."
"We learned there were deaths after the victory against The Gambia - we want this to stop because we are here to defend the colours of the country. Everything is going well for us at the moment so support the country but don't do anything to kill each other or oneself. Stay calm - thank you," Feindouno continued.