US Ouakam suspended for 7 years after stadium tragedy

The Senegalese Football Federation has suspended US Ouakam, the team found to be “exclusively responsible” for the Demba Diop stadium stampede that killed at least eight people on July 15, in Dakar.

The team that was playing in a final game against Stade de Mbour, will not participate in national football competitions for the next seven years.

The country’s football governing body had earlier suspended US Ouakam from any football-related activity.

And to respect the victims, election campaigns were halted that weekend, and any cultural or sporting events banned indefinitely.

The investigation results President Macky Sall ordered be provided within a month, reveal the US Ouakam fans started the chaos by throwing stones at Stade de Mbour supporters. Police tried to stop the clashes that ended with several deaths and left at least 49 people injured.

And US Ouakam still lost the Cup.

The Friday sentence includes the team also paying a fine of 18,000 dollars.