Complete lawlessness and uncontrollable panic seized the stadium of many thousands at the end of the most important match. Inadequate fans fired firearms at the away team players.

The stunned players fled…

“I felt the impact”

ABC Motsepe League is the third most important football division in South Africa. On Friday, two important matches took place here. Tickets to the higher leagues were at stake. In one of the games at the 10,000-seat Harry Gwala stadium, the teams of Umsinga United and Orbit College met. The winner automatically won a promotion.

Local fans hoped for their favorite team to win, but younger rivals from the college won with a minimum score of 1: 0. This caused a real fury of the fans. A large number of firecrackers and foreign objects flew onto the field. The most repulsed fans began to break into the field through the barrier net.

United goalkeeping coach Gezani Zondi tried to calm the distraught spectators, but he was hit by an unknown object that flew in from the stands.

“I felt hit by something. After a while, I felt like I was bleeding. The paramedics said it was not fatal. At first I tried to wash myself with water, but then I still went to the ambulance, where they helped me, – News24 quotes the specialist as saying.

FC Orbit College / Photo: © Organizers of ABC Motsepe League

“Hooliganism has no place in football”

The situation worsened with every second. The security officer decided to correct the situation. He pulled out a pistol and fired upwards. But his actions only made things worse. It turned out that the stands were full of fans with pistols. Some of them jumped onto the field and a shootout began.

Some of the armed fans calmly walked around the lawn, and someone fired from cover. Moreover, the targets of some of the criminals were the players of Orbit College. Inadequate reaction of the audience led to a real panic. Players and coaches fled.

In South Africa, college is considered an upper secondary level. The guest team was predominantly made up of schoolchildren. It’s good that no one died, but the attack on them caused a real shock to Orbit College head coach Poguisho Mahoye.

“This is our moment, we should have celebrated the promotion. We have schoolchildren, they will soon take exams. They’re here now, but imagine if one of them got shot. I hope that the South African Football Association (SAFA) will be able to organize tournaments better, especially in terms of security. I’m concerned about what happened. Imagine if tomorrow the parents of football players were told: “Your child is dead, he was shot during the playoffs,” the coach said in an interview with SABC Sport.

The incident received a wide response in South Africa. They responded to the incident at the highest level. Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa condemned the incident at the stadium. He called the fans’ behavior deplorable. SAFA’s official website also issued a condemning statement.

Photo: © ABC Motsepe League Organizers

– The South African Football Association strongly condemns the violent acts of hooliganism and banditry in Pietermaritzburg. We asked security and the judges for a full report. We are actively looking into this matter and any person or club involved will be found guilty. Hooliganism has no place in football, the association said in a statement.

Only miraculously, no one died in this shooting. Inadequate fans were dispersed by the police with rubber bullets. Law enforcement agencies are now searching for all the perpetrators.