CAIRO (AP) — A star soccer player has died after he was hit in the head by an object thrown from the crowd during a game in Algeria’s top league.

The Confederation of African Football says 24-year-old striker Albert Ebosse of Cameroon died in the hospital Saturday night.

His team, JS Kabylie, was playing USM Alger in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou. Kabylie says the forward was hit at the end of the game in which Ebosse had scored in the 2-1 home loss. Ebosse was the leading scorer in the Algerian league last season.

Kabylie says a police investigation will be opened. African confederation President Issa Hayatou expects “exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence.”

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