ANTANANARIVO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 47 others injured on Sunday in a stampede before a soccer match in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, authorities said.
The incident occurred at Mahamasina stadium, where host Madagascar played against Senegal for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifier.
"One person was killed and 47 others were injured," Madagascar Acting President Rivo Rakotovao said at a local hospital where the injured were treated. "We took a lesson on the organization of such an event."
The two teams drew 2-2. Both now have 4 points each.
This match was important for Madagascar, which has never qualified for the CAN and has never played in CAN finals, the coach of the Malagasy national team, Nicolas Dupuis, told Xinhua after the match.
The Mahamasina stadium was packed with supporters of Malagasy team. A long queue could be seen eight hours before the kickoff of the match.
"The person who died has a trauma on his head," the director of Joseph HJRA hospital, Olivat Rakoto, told Xinhua.
