Posted by Diego Zorrilla



TEMBISA, South Africa -- Visiting Makhulong Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the Nigeria-North Korea friendly was the perfect opportunity to watch the Super Eagles in action, given that they will be Argentina's first rival in the World Cup. But the game lost all its importance before it had even started, as news reached the press box about a stampede at the gates that, in the end, left 15 people injured.



FIFA was quick to say that it can't be blamed, fair enough because the organization doesn't sanction these friendlies. It would also be very hard to prove that the incident shows South Africa is not ready to host the World Cup. Even the extent of responsibility that could be thrust upon Nigeria, as designated host team of the friendly, remains to be seen.



But still, the game in Tembisa was an accident waiting to happen.



Is there a better way to describe the decision to make the Super Eagles play, for free, in a poor township at a relatively small stadium (12,000 full capacity, or, more like 8,000 since that was the number of tickets released)? To make matters worse, the tickets issued looked quite easy to forge.



Tembisa residents were surely eager to watch two World Cup teams, and especially an African favorite, without having to pay for the show. Nigerians are a big immigrant group in South Africa, including Joburg, and, undoubtedly, many of them made the trip to Makhulong on Sunday. Did anyone really expect them not to do so?



An hour before the match, there was already an immense crowd gathered around the gates, most of them wearing the green shirt of the Eagles or the yellow one of the Bafana Bafana. But there were just two gates with no turnstiles -- and one of those was reserved for players, officials and media. One gate, 8,000 people? You do the math.



Ironically, the stadium was never really packed full. Shortly before the game began, there were several gaps in most of the stands. Then the stampedes came and the police elected to close the gates, to reopen them fully only minutes before the game ended.



By the way, the show went on: The players were unaware of what was happening outside, and Nigeria beat North Korea 3-1.

Many fans probably didn't care at all, as close as they came to being crushed to death. They probably hope this near tragedy will, at least, keep some eyes wide open when the true competition begins.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5257202/ce/us/fans-nigeria-north-korea-warm-stampede-gates-game?cc=5901&ver=us

That's what your a$$ gets when you take a high profile match for which over fifteen thousand tickets have been sold to a less than ten thousand capacity stadium

rasputinn:

That's what your a$$ gets when you take a high profile match for which over fifteen thousand tickets have been sold to a less than ten thousand capacity stadium

so sad, i only thought that things like that only happened in naija.

it happens.

Please change that bloody topic or subject. The stampede was not caused by Nigerians in SA; it was caused by Super Eagles's fans in South Africa, many of whom were South Africans and other Africans, not just Nigerians. ESPN reported live outside the event and interviewed attendees at random, and they did not interview a single Nigerian, for I can readily identify Nigerians from, at least, their look, their names, or their accent. Nigerian names are usually not "Mgbodolo Mwabodongo." I am sick and tired of the assumption that because there was a stampede at a Super Eagles' game in South Africa, and not in Nigeria, the stampede was caused by Nigerians, a flawed reasoning based on the assumption that only, or mostly, Nigerians will invariably desire to force their way into a soccer game featuring the Super Eagles.

Princek12:
Nigerian names are usually not "Mgbodolo Mwabodongo."

BBWAHAHAHAHA; ROFL, CRYING!!![/

Too bad. Hope this wont affect the tournament

Daz what they know them for, problems all the tyme and anywhere they go. . .NA WA O!

i agree with someone above. even the bbc reported that the stampede was caused by south africans and nigerians amongst other football fans.

therefore the topic is misleading

the stampede is from the fans and not only Nigerians.

anyway, this is not a big deal and the stadium used will not be used in the world cup. This is what happen when you give free tickets. It attracts hoodlums.

its a big deal in terms of poor corwd control presumably the same officials are supposed to be invloved in one way or the other during the world cup

hope this woud'nt  affect us

@poster be careful.
Stampede caused by Nigerian ko.

Well, Nigeria supporters will be the one to beat, D Argentines, Well d stampede is caused by greediness of sme officials, !

Princek12:

Nigerian names are usually not "Mgbodolo Mwabodongo."

Some of those people's names self. I don't have a problem with the traditional ones, its the english one's that bother me like "surprise", "method", or "laughter" that make me laugh

davidif:

Some of those people's names self. I don't have a problem with the traditional ones, its the english one's that bother me like "surprise", "method", or "laughter" that make me laugh 

Are those names?

mama-gee:

Are those names?

yep! but they are no worse than naija names like "government", "goodluck", "plant", or "longinus".

eros:

Another misleading topic by a biased poster. Please change your subject line and help build Nigeria, instead of destroy and castigate her.

Pls, tell him

eros:

Another misleading topic by a biased poster. Please change your subject line and help build Nigeria, instead of destroy and castigate her.

Pls, tell him

eros:

Another misleading topic by a biased poster. Please change your subject line and help build Nigeria, instead of destroy and castigate her.

Pls, tell him

eros:

Another misleading topic by a biased poster. Please change your subject line and help build Nigeria, instead of destroy and castigate her.

Pls, tell him

Too many people and few seats we all know what will happen.

I was watching that game live on TV, for some reason I noticed there was something wrong thats gonna happen.

snowdrops:

its a big deal in terms of poor corwd control presumably the same officials are supposed to be invloved in one way or the other during the world cup

The game was organised by the NFF, FIFA confirmed that they were not involved in the organisation of the game.
However its a big deal in terms of the perceptions Europeans gonna have over Africans, sad though.

davidif:

yep! but they are no worse than naija names like "government", "goodluck", "plant", or "longinus".

How about "someone" "pleasure" "kindness", lol

davidif:

so sad, i only thought that things like that only happened in naija.

my friend how do you mean, its not a must that you must resond to this post, u come nairaland come dey abuse us 4 wetin happen for SA, e be like say your head no correct, olodo

edoreedore:

my friend how do you mean, its not a must that you must resond to this post, u come nairaland come dey abuse us 4 wetin happen for SA, e be like say your head no correct, olodo

you are the olodo. If you don't have anything constructive to say THEN SHUT UP!!! Everybody is talking in a polite manner its you that has to bring your "motor park" attitude over here.

yoruba:

However its a big deal in terms of the perceptions Europeans gonna have over Africans, sad though.How about "someone" "pleasure" "kindness", lol

Someone ke!!! chei, nigerians una go kill person die. 

http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/TournamentNews/FIFA-blames-SA-for-stampede-20100608

[size=16pt]FIFA blames SA for stampede[/size]

Johannesburg – FIFA have pointed the finger of blame squarely at South Africa for the stampede in a World Cup warm-up game at the weekend.

Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, told journalists in Sandton on Monday that there will definitely not be a stampede during the tournament. He added that the host country is responsible for safety.

“FIFA as organisers also have to take steps to ensure a safe tournament, but football associations and FIFA don’t have a police force at their disposal. That is always in the hands of the country in which the game is being played,” said Blatter.

Sixteen people, including two police officers, were injured in a stampede at a warm-up game between Nigeria and North Korea at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa on the East Rand on Sunday.

FIFA secretary-general Jérôme Valcke said that police had informed them of the incident immediately.

“We are always in contact with the police. It was unnecessary for us to tell the police that they had to be better at World Cup stadiums than was the case yesterday (Sunday),” said Valcke.

He added that the organisation of the tournament is better than for the warm-up game.

The police said in a statement on Monday that the friendly match had been organised by a private company and that the teams apparently handed out tickets outside the gates.

“A number of fans wanted to enter the stadium without tickets. Police immediately initiated crowd control measures, but the people got out of hand and forced the gates open twice,” the statement read.

“Police did everything in their power to limit the injuries.”

A police officer was seriously injured and is in a stable condition. The other police officer sustained light injuries. Fourteen fans sustained light injuries.

National spokesperson Brig. Sally de Beer said that there should be collective responsibility for the incident.

Meanwhile, Valcke said that between 97 and 98% of the three million tickets for the 2010 tournament would be sold.

“We’re selling 5000 tickets per day. I’m not saying that all the tickets will be sold, but the attendance will be good.”

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/51/53/98/fifa_safety_regulations_en.pdf

Article 17 Security officer

1. Each confederation and association must appoint a security officer. This
person must have experience of working with public authorities and
the police services, as well as prior knowledge of match organisation
issues, spectator supervision and any other matters relating to ensuring
safety and order at an event.

3. The security officer shall be responsible for assessing and addressing
risks and for taking measures which are in coordination with those
being taken by the police, emergency services, public authorities and
any other entities involved in the management of the event. These
could include the following issues:
• Political tensions at national, local or club level;
• Terrorist threats;
• Historical enmity between clubs or their supporters;
• Supporters without tickets, counterfeit tickets or tickets allocated
for the opposing team’s supporters’ areas;
• Supporters with a history of using pyrotechnics or any other
dangerous objects, including lasers;
• The possibility of racist or aggressive language, banners or
behaviour.
This is best achieved through the preparation of written contingency
plans covering the range of possible incidents that may adversely affect
the safety of spectators or disrupt normal operations. These may be large
or small. Among the matters to which they may relate are the structure
of the venue, the safety equipment, crowd control and ticketing. In
some cases they may require the evacuation of the venue. The plans
should be tested and should be updated in the light of the outcome.

Article 18 Entry to the stadium, sale of tickets

1. On match days, only persons in possession of valid permits shall be
granted entry to the stadium. Valid permits include:
• Match tickets;
• Workers’ identity cards;
• Passes.

2. The identity cards of members of the security forces that allow them
to carry out operational tasks shall also be regarded as valid permits.

3. The permits shall, as far as possible, be forgery-proof and protected
against multiple usage.

5. Match tickets shall display the date of the match, and if possible, details
of the teams involved. On each match ticket, the exact sector, row and
seat number must be printed as well as a plan of the stadium on the
reverse side.

6. The sale of match tickets shall be subject to strict control. If possible,
the sale of match tickets shall be organised so that the fans of the
two opposing teams are allocated distinctly separate areas of the
stadium.

7. The organising committee for the respective event(s) shall pass decisions
regarding the number of tickets to be allocated to the participating
associations and host association. The decisions of these committees
are final and binding.

8. Each association shall take all reasonable measures for ensuring that its
allocation of tickets is only made available to its own supporters. The
association shall also ensure that specific details are recorded during
the sales process, such as the name and address of persons who have
been issued with tickets.

9. The tickets shall be protected against forgery by integrating security
features into the ticket. If there is the slightest suspicion that forged tickets
may be in circulation, the police must be informed immediately.

[size=16pt]10. On the day of the match, tickets may not be sold at the stadium but
only elsewhere at the venue with the approval of the police and/or
the relevant public authorities and in consultation with the visiting
association or club. Any limitation on the number of tickets to be sold
per purchaser must be determined in consultation with the police and/
or the relevant public authorities.[/size]

12. The correct determination of both the maximum permitted capacity and
the maximum times allowed for the entry, exit and emergency exit of
spectators is crucial for the event. It shall be undertaken by the public
authorities. The safe capacity shall be based on whichever is lower, the
capacity of the spectator accommodation or the number of spectators
who can safely use the entrances, exits or emergency exits within the
prescribed period, which will vary according to the design and structure
of the stadium. Experience has shown that all spectators should ideally
be able to enter a free-fl owing exit system within a maximum of eight
minutes. The capacity shall be reduced if either the physical condition
of the stadium or the safety management is inadequate.

can sum 1 pls list d states 2 be created.

can sum 1 pls list d states 2 be created.

the funny thing is that when they briefly stopped the match, the commentator said that the reason was because a few people had DIED during the stampede bla bla bla and that the same "stampede" thingy happened during the US match the previous day where many people had tickets but couldnt get in, himself included (the commentator).

is SA ready or not?! if they cant even handle fans on a small venue like that, how are they going to manage in the huge stadiums?!