At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during a stampede at a World Cup qualifier between Cote d'Ivoire and Malawi on Sunday.

In Abidjan, fans at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny arena pushed against each other shortly before the game, resulting in a panic that led to the stampede, Interior Minister Desire Tagro said on state television.

"They started pushing to get in because the match was about to start and each and every one of them wanted to get in," Tagro said.

The stampede happened about 40 minutes before the game, police fired tear gas into one section of the crowd, and a wall collapsed under the weight of the fans as they pushed toward the field.

Cote d'Ivoire won the match 5-0.

Source:Xinhua