Issa Hayatou calls for African sanctions

CAF president Issa Hayatou has expressed his sadness and anger at the death of Cameroon forward Albert Ebosse, who played for JS Kabylie

The Cameroon footballer died after he was hit by the projectile during an Algerian championship match between JSK and USM Alger on Saturday night August 23.

In expressing his message of condolence, Hayatou called for appropriate sanctions against perpetrators of the act, stressing that African football cannot be a breeding ground for hooliganism or any form of violence.

"My thoughts go out to the family and friends of this young man who enjoyed his job peacefully and went further to pursue his passion for football abroad," Hayatou said in a statement at Caf headquarters in Cairo.

"African football cannot be the breeding ground for hooliganism whatsoever. We expect exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence.

Violence has no place in African football in particular and sports in general.

We remain resolute and state in the strongest terms our determination to eradicate all forms of violence and unsportsmanlike conduct in stadiums on the continent," he added.

Albert Dominique Ebosse Bodjongo Dika, 25, is the leading scorer of the Algerian championship in the 2013/14 season. He died on Saturday night at the hospital in Tizi Ouzou where he was rushed after he was hit by a 'missile'. He had scored his team's goal as JSK was defeated 2-1 by USM Alger.

Goal's correspondents in Algeria have expressed the state of shock in the country after this tragedy. There's a general feeling of sadness, dismay and anger.

Mohammed Raouraoua, the president of Algerian federation made the following statement.

"The FAF president Mohamed Raouraoua and all of the football family were shocked, dismayed and outraged at the tragic death of Albert Ebossé, a member of JS Kabylie. (This was caused) from injuries by projectiles thrown at the end of the Ligue 1 match JSK-USMA, which took place Saturday, August 23, 2014 in Tizi Ouzou," said Raouraoua.

"In this difficult and painful time, the FAF president Mohamed Raouraoua and the entire football family bow to the memory of the victim and submit to the family of the deceased Cameroonian athletes, and their sincere JSK condolences," he added.