Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 10y

Call for sanctions after Ebosse death

#INSERT type:image caption:Cameroon international Albrt Ebosse died after being hit by an object thrown from the crowd. END#

The president of the Confederation of African Football has called for "exemplary sanctions" to be imposed following the death of Cameroon striker Albert Ebosse, who was killed after being hit on the head by a missile thrown from the crowd in Algeria on Saturday.

Issa Hayatou, a FIFA vice-president, said he wanted swift and decisive action to be taken following the death of 24-year-old Ebosse, who played for JSK Kabylie.

The forward was hit by a missile thrown from among his own club's fans after the 2-1 home defeat to USM Alger, in which he had scored his side's goal.

The Algerian authorities have begun an investigation, and Hayatou, also a Cameroonian, said: "Firstly, my thoughts go to the family and to those close to this player, who only hoped to live from his passion for football, which he had made his livelihood and which had led him to emigrate from his country.

"African football will not be a breeding ground for hooliganism of any kind. We expect exemplary sanctions to be taken, because violence has no place in African football in particular and in sport in general. We will use our last drop of energy to eradicate all forms of violence and unsporting behaviour in the continent's stadiums."

The Algerian FA has already postponed the round of games scheduled for the end of August, and has put out a statement suggesting that JSK could be banned from all its competitions.

It has been reported that 100,000 euros will be paid to Ebosse's family in compensation, along with the wages he would have earned in the remaining months of the two-year contract signed when he joined JSK last summer.

Montpellier coach Rolland Courbis, who was in charge of USM Alger between October 2012 and November 2013, told RMC he had known Ebosse well.

"We were talking about signing him," he said. "He had been offered to us. It didn't work out because we chose another player. I knew him very well. He was a great guy -- adorable."

He said he had experienced crowd problems during his time in Algeria, adding: "USMA is a bit like PSG. People are jealous of them. They have a billionaire president.

"JSK are a big team that represents Kabylie, a very big region. The atmosphere is always white-hot, but not as much as that. This time, it has really gone over the top."

In a statement announcing the death, published on Kabylie's website on Saturday, the club said: "The Ministry of Interior and Local Government, speaking through minister Tayeb Belaiz, has given an instruction to open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Albert Ebosse.

"The JSK player succumbed to a head injury after being hit in the head at the end of the meeting with USM Alger."

USM Alger published a statement on their website, which read: "JS Kabylie's Cameroonian striker has lost his life after being hit in the head by something launched from the stands.

"This terrible news is saddening for football in our nation and in Cameroon and arrives like a bombshell just hours after the meeting with USM Alger which was played in Tizi Ouzou.

"In these painful circumstances, USM Alger and its members send their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and to JS Kabylie. May Albert Ebosse rest in peace."

Ebosse played for Coton Sport FC, Unisport Bafang and Douala AC in his homeland before moving to Malaysian club Perak FA in 2012.

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