Colombia striker shot dead

January 9, 2006

Colombian striker Elson Becerra has been shot and killed along with a friend in a Cartagena disco.

The 27-year-old forward was dancing in a night club Sunday when attackers shot him four times, said Col. Mauricio Agudelo, police chief of Bolivar state.

Becerra apparently had an argument some days earlier with the unknown assailants who then came to the bar looking for revenge, the police chief said.

"The attackers were looking for a chance in the discotheque and in the middle of the music they committed the double crime," Agudelo said.

Becerra was a member of the Colombia team which failed to qualify for this year's World Cup finals.

His death carries echoes of the sad death of Colombian defender Abdreas Escobar who was shot dead in 1994 after Colombia were knocked out of the World Cup finals.

Subscribe to World Soccer - The essential football magazine