Senegalese Football club banned for seven years after violence that left eight people dead last month

The Senegalese Professional Football League (LSFP) has handed a seven-year ban to US Ouakam football club following the crowd violence which left eight people dead during the League Cup final against Stade de Mbour last month.

The LSFP's disciplinary committee said it holds US Ouakam "exclusively responsible" for the tragedy at the Stade Demba Diop on July 15, 2017.  They were further punished with a demotion to the lowest tier of Senegalese football at the end of their seven-year suspension.

The 2011 Senegalese League Champions have also been issued with a fine of 10 million francs (CFA) with Stade de Mbour being awarded the trophy as winners.

The club has however said they will appeal the decision.  "We are going to appeal this penalty, which seems to us to be heavy and disproportionate, the Commission has been too heavy handed. We are not sure that these kinds of sanctions will put an end to the violence in our country," Club President Abdou Aziz Guèye said