At least 15 hurt in South Africa stadium stampede
Source: Agencies |
June 8, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AT least 15 people were injured on Sunday when fans tried to push their way into a local stadium to watch a pre-World Cup match between Nigeria and North Korea only five days before the tournament gets underway.
The stampede was triggered mostly by Nigeria supporters, holding what police said were photocopies of tickets, trying to push their way into the 10,000-seater Makhulong stadium outside Johannesburg after the game had started.
The incident marred a day when more fans and teams flew in to South Africa which hosts the month-long football jamboree, the world's most watched sporting event, from Friday. It is the first time the 80-year-old tournament has been held in the continent.
A police officer sustained serious injuries when fans pushed the gate on to him in their effort to enter the stadium to watch the match between the two World Cup participants.
"He was crushed by the gates as people stormed them, trying to get in," a police official at the scene said.
Among those injured were at least two children. Nigeria won the match 3-1.
FIFA stressed that the match was not staged under its auspices and said it was still "fully confident" about its organization for the World Cup.
But the Nigeria football federation said it had no choice over the venue, because FIFA controlled the other available stadiums.
Taiwo Ogunjobi, the Nigerian federation's technical committee chairman, told Website kickoff.com they had no alternatives.
"We had no choice," Ogunjobi said. "That was the only venue available to us. FIFA had taken control of all the stadia we could have used, and we had to settle for this one because we needed to play this match."
The South African Police Service is launching an investigation into the incident.
Nigeria media officer Idah Peterside said the match "was organized by the two FAs," but police spokesman Col Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Sunday that Nigeria, as the host team, was responsible for security.
South Africa President Jacob Zuma expected the June 11-July 11 tournament to have a unifying effect for the host nation, unseen since the 1990 release of former President Nelson Mandela.
"The enthusiasm, joy and excitement that has engulfed the entire nation in recent weeks has not been witnessed since President Nelson Mandela was released from prison," Zuma said. "This explosion of national pride is a priceless benefit of the World Cup tournament."
The stampede was triggered mostly by Nigeria supporters, holding what police said were photocopies of tickets, trying to push their way into the 10,000-seater Makhulong stadium outside Johannesburg after the game had started.
The incident marred a day when more fans and teams flew in to South Africa which hosts the month-long football jamboree, the world's most watched sporting event, from Friday. It is the first time the 80-year-old tournament has been held in the continent.
A police officer sustained serious injuries when fans pushed the gate on to him in their effort to enter the stadium to watch the match between the two World Cup participants.
"He was crushed by the gates as people stormed them, trying to get in," a police official at the scene said.
Among those injured were at least two children. Nigeria won the match 3-1.
FIFA stressed that the match was not staged under its auspices and said it was still "fully confident" about its organization for the World Cup.
But the Nigeria football federation said it had no choice over the venue, because FIFA controlled the other available stadiums.
Taiwo Ogunjobi, the Nigerian federation's technical committee chairman, told Website kickoff.com they had no alternatives.
"We had no choice," Ogunjobi said. "That was the only venue available to us. FIFA had taken control of all the stadia we could have used, and we had to settle for this one because we needed to play this match."
The South African Police Service is launching an investigation into the incident.
Nigeria media officer Idah Peterside said the match "was organized by the two FAs," but police spokesman Col Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Sunday that Nigeria, as the host team, was responsible for security.
South Africa President Jacob Zuma expected the June 11-July 11 tournament to have a unifying effect for the host nation, unseen since the 1990 release of former President Nelson Mandela.
"The enthusiasm, joy and excitement that has engulfed the entire nation in recent weeks has not been witnessed since President Nelson Mandela was released from prison," Zuma said. "This explosion of national pride is a priceless benefit of the World Cup tournament."
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