Three people died and more than 70 others were injured when a security barrier collapsed in the upper stands of the 5 July 1962 Stadium in Algiers, Algeria, during soccer championship celebrations on Saturday, June 21. The tragedy occurred immediately after the final whistle as Mouloudia Club d’Alger secured their second consecutive league title with a 0-0 draw against NC Magra.
The disaster unfolded when jubilant fans surged forward to celebrate their team’s victory, causing a barrier in the upper tier to give way. Dozens of supporters fell from the upper stands into the lower seating area below. The 85,000-capacity stadium was packed for the title-deciding match.
Algeria’s Ministry of Health confirmed the casualties in a Facebook statement, detailing the distribution of injured victims across three hospitals in the capital. Beni Messous University Hospital received 38 injured people and recorded three deaths. Ben Aknoun Hospital treated 27 injured individuals, while Bab El Oued Hospital received 16 patients.
One of the deceased was identified as Younes Amgozi, a supporter of MC Alger. The club mourned his loss in an Instagram post, expressing their grief over the fan who passed away after falling from the upper stands. Most of the injured have since been released from hospitals, according to health officials.
MC Alger players and staff demonstrated solidarity by visiting hospitals to donate blood for the injured supporters. The planned trophy presentation ceremony was postponed following the disaster. During the match, the atmosphere had been celebratory, with green smoke from flares filling the stadium as fans anticipated their team’s championship victory.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered condolences to the victims’ families and wished for the swift recovery of those injured. The Confederation of African Football also issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the loss of lives and injuries sustained by the spectators.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe stated, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the injuries sustained by the football spectators.” The confederation extended condolences to the Fédération Algérienne de Football, the Algerian Government, and President Tebboune. Motsepe indicated that CAF would remain in contact with Algerian football officials and provide whatever assistance possible.
The 5 July 1962 Stadium, inaugurated in 1972, serves as both a football and athletics venue in Algeria’s capital. MC Alger, founded in 1921, plays in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1, the country’s top division. The club’s traditional colors are red, green and white, and their regular home ground is the 40,000-capacity Ali La Pointe Stadium.
Footage broadcast by El Heddaf TV appeared to show sections of railing that had collapsed onto the lower tier of the stadium. Emergency services responded immediately to the scene, with ambulances transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities throughout the capital city.
The championship victory marked MC Alger’s successful defense of the league title they had won the previous year. As of the 2023-2024 season, MC Alger held the highest market value among Algerian football clubs at €9.68 million. The club was celebrating what should have been a joyous moment in their successful campaign.
Local media reports indicated that the barrier failure occurred as fans pressed forward in excitement following the final whistle. The collapse left celebrating supporters without protection from the significant drop to the seating area below. Authorities have not yet issued statements regarding stadium safety protocols or investigations into the cause of the structural failure.
The incident represents one of the most serious stadium disasters in recent Algerian football history. The combination of a packed stadium, intense celebrations, and structural failure created conditions that transformed a moment of sporting triumph into a scene requiring extensive emergency response across multiple hospitals in Algiers.
