Interior Minister Desire Tagro said on state TV that fans outside the stadium before the game began pushing and shoving, setting off the panic. But witnesses said as fans tried to get into the stadium, police fired tear gas into the crowd, setting off the stampede.
The weight of the fans pushing forward caused a wall to come crashing down, according to an Associated Press photographer and other witnesses. An Abidjan morgue listed 19 dead, and Tagro gave the number of injured as 132.
"We saw people falling from the top bleachers," said Diarassouba Adama, who was inside the stadium. "The stampede was provoked by the security forces who threw tear-gas canisters at us. I don't know why they fired on us."
State TV announced that Prime Minister Guillaume Soro was holding an emergency cabinet meeting to deal with the national tragedy.
If tear gas was to blame, it would be the fourth time since 2001 that police firing tear gas have set off deadly stadium stampedes in Africa.
Colleges
* Ohio State University says it has sold the media rights for its sports programs in a 10-year deal guaranteeing the school $110 million. The university said its partnership with IMG College and RadiOhio gives the companies the rights to manage and market publishing related to Ohio State sports, as well as radio game play-by-play and coaches' shows. The contract also covers television not included in Big Ten Conference and NCAA contracts.
* Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini signed a contract extension through 2013 following a 9-4 season, boosting his annual salary to $1.85 million.
* Redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib will be Syracuse's starting quarterback next season, coach Doug Marrone announced.
Philly File
* Temple senior second baseman Carmen Del Mastro (Roman Catholic) has been named the Atlantic 10 Baseball Player of the Week after batting .650.
Sport Stops
* The owners of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown have bought a 50 percent interest in top 2009 Derby contender I Want Revenge. Bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto said the deal was reached between IEAH Stables and I Want Revenge current owner/breeder David Lanzman. The purchase price was not disclosed.
* Julia Mancuso won the giant slalom at the U.S. Alpine Ski Championships at Alyeska Resort in Alaska.
* Top-ranked Serena Williams barely made it out of the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., beating 17th-seeded Zheng Jie, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, despite twice losing five games in a row. *
