Togolese Sports Minister Dies in Plane Crash

FIFA President Blatter was deeply saddened by the two disasters: ”Our football family is greatly distressed to hear of the misfortune that has occurred in Sierra Leone and Zambia. Our pain at these losses is all the greater given that they both occurred only a few days after we had come together for the 57th FIFA Congress in Zurich.”

Last Saturday, twelve football fans were aid to have lost their lives in a stampede following an African Cup of Nations qualifying match between Zambia and Congo while the cold hand of death snatched Togolese Minister for Sport and several officials from the Togolese Football Association and other passengers on Sunday when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in Freetown, Sierra Leone as they returned from an African Cup of Nations qualifying match between Sierra Leone and Togo.

FIFA and its President have expressed their heartfelt condolences to the associations affected, their national governments, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and relatives of the victims.

In a telephone conversation with CAF President and FIFA Vice-President Issa Hayatou, FIFA President Blatter was also informed of the steps being taken by CAF and the Zambian government to determine the causes of the stadium tragedy.