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Algeria suspends football after star player is killed by rock thrown by fan

August 25, 2014

CAIRO (AP) — A star soccer player has died after he was hit in the head by an object thrown from the crowd during a game in Algeria’s top league.

The Confederation of African Football says 24-year-old striker Albert Ebosse of Cameroon died in the hospital Saturday night, and and Algerian Football Federation has suspended football indefinitely.

His team, JS Kabylie, was playing USM Alger in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou. Kabylie says the forward was hit at the end of the game in which Ebosse had scored in the 2-1 home loss. Ebosse was the leading scorer in the Algerian league last season.

Kabylie says a police investigation will be opened. African confederation President Issa Hayatou expects “exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence.”

Ebosse joined Kabylie last year and became an immediate success, scoring 17 goals last season as his team finished second to USM Alger, the opponents on Sunday, in Algeria’s top league. Algiers team USM Alger also offered its condolences.

Ebosse’s body was transferred to a military hospital in preparation for it to be flown home to Cameroon, his club said.

Algeria’s Abdelmoumene Djabou celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the group H World Cup soccer match between South Korea and Algeria at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Sunday, June 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)