Object thrown from crowd kills footballer

A footballer has died after being hit in the head by an object thrown from the crowd at a top-flight league game in Algeria.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said Cameroonian striker Albert Ebosse died in hospital Saturday night after he was struck at the match between JS Kabylie and USM Alger in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou.

Ebosse’s club JS Kabylie said the 24-year-old forward suffered the head injury when he was hit at the end of the game.

He had scored in the 2-1 home loss and was the leading scorer in the Algerian league last season.

CAF have called for “exemplary sanctions” following Ebosse’s death.

CAF President Issa Hayatou reacted by calling for member associations to act strongly against fan violence and for the perpetrators of this incident to be dealt with in the strongest possible terms.

“African football cannot be the breeding ground for hooliganism whatsoever,” Hayatou said in a statement. “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.”