A 21-year-old Comorian football fan, Fahad Moindze, has tragically passed away following an incident at a World Cup qualifier match. Moindze was shot by security forces who were attempting to control a crowd of supporters at Malouzini Stadium in Moroni before a match against Ghana on November 21. He was airlifted to a hospital in Tanzania last Thursday with a head wound, but sadly, he did not survive.
The government spokesman, Houmed Msaidie, described the incident as “unfortunate” and attributed it to the “accidental handling” of a weapon by security forces. The forces were responding to a large number of people trying to enter the stadium. The interior ministry is expected to hold a press conference on the matter.
The official fan club of the Comoros’ national team expressed their condolences to Moindze’s family on Facebook. They also announced their intention to lodge a complaint with the authorities over the death.
The incident has sparked outrage among the citizens of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. Lawyer Djamal El-Dine Bacar called for police blunders to be held accountable, stating on Facebook that they “must not go unpunished.” Nadia Tourqui, a civil society group worker, referred to the incident as a result of “incompetence and inhumanity.”
This tragic event has cast a shadow over Comoros’ shock 1-0 win in the game. The nation now mourns the loss of a young football fan whose life was cut short in a tragic turn of events.