A BBC correspondent in Monrovia says many fake tickets were in circulation, leading to overcrowding at the 33,000 capacity Samuel K Doe stadium.

As the problem became apparent, UN peacekeepers closed the gates to the stadium, leaving thousands outside.

One fan told the BBC that Liberian police were reselling tickets to fans.

"We saw people, security men, entering, getting tickets from those who had crossed over boards, jumping over the fence and bringing the same tickets back outside, selling them to people for a little or nothing," said Lee Francis, who was unable to get into the game.

Liberian Football Association chief doctor Sam Harris says the fans had died of suffocation.

Their bodies were taken to the country's main John F Kennedy hospital, where relatives were told to collect the bodies on Monday.

The game eventually finished 1-1, with Mustapha Jarju scoring the goal for the Gambia after 17 minutes. Oliver Makor came on as a substitute for the Lone Star to score the equalizer eight minutes from time. In the other Group 6 game on Saturday Senegal struggled to a 1-0 victory at home to Algeria in Dakar. The only goal of the game came in the 80th minute from Abdoulaye Faye, who plays for Newcastle United in the English Premier League.

The Algerian players claimed the ball had not crossed the line but television replays confirmed that the goal was legitimate. Algeria also had a goal disallowed for off-side.