Algeria suspend all football after player death

[jakeXT]

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria have suspended all football this weekend in memory of Albert Ebosse, the striker killed on Saturday after being struck by an object thrown from the crowd during a Ligue 1 match in the north African country.

The Algerian Football Federation said in a statement it was considering several punitive measures including expelling Ebosse’s club JS Kabylie from all competitions. It did not specify a time period.

The Cameroon forward was struck on the head by an object allegedly thrown from a section of his club's own fans as the players left the field at the end of a 2-1 defeat to USM Alger in Tizi Ouzou, a match in which he had scored his side's goal.

JS Kabylie confirmed in a statement posted on the club's website that he had passed away in hospital later on Saturday, though they did not give the exact cause of death.


http://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFKBN0GP15320140825

[Ron Obvious]

1. What the hell was he struck by?

An "Object"? I can't find anywhere what it was that struck the poor guy.

[jakeXT]

2. A rock

Soccer violence in Algeria reflects social unrest


The rocks came raining down after the final whistle of the Algerian soccer match, an increasingly common ritual in stadiums across the country. This time, the violence ended in tragedy: Hit in the head, Albert Ebosse, the league's top goal scorer last season, crumbled to the ground and died in a hospital.

Algerian youths are storming pitches, stoning players and clashing outside stadiums in a wave of hooliganism seen as an outlet for daily frustrations such as joblessness, weak institutions and sheer boredom. Players say a death like that of Ebosse, killed by his own fans, was only a matter of time.

Algeria is one of the main suppliers of natural gas to Europe, but critics say it is failing to translate energy wealth into brighter lives for young people, turning them toward soccer violence.

"Violence in Algeria has become ordinary and banal," said Mahmoud Boudarene, a prominent psychologist.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/soccer-violence-in-algeria-reflects-social-unrest-1.2751823