A stampede outside a stadium in the southern Iraqi city of Basra killed one person and injured dozens Thursday, the state news agency reported. The deadly incident happened as spectators gathered to attend the final match in the first international soccer tournament held in the country in four decades. The Iraqi News Agency said some of the 60 people who were injured outside the Basra International Stadium are in critical condition. The final match in the eight-nation Arabian Gulf Cup is scheduled to be held later Thursday between Iraq and Oman. But the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation is considering postponing the final match or moving it to another country if the security situation does not improve, Basra governor Asaad Abdel Amir told Reuters. The tournament started on Jan. 6, with teams from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — as well as Yemen and Iraq. It’s the first time since 1979 that Iraq has hosted the tournament.
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