FAN VIOLENCE Espérance de Tunis supporters clash with Mamelodi Sundowns supporters during the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final at the Loftus Versfeld stadium. Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
While Mamelodi Sundowns should have been left celebrating their 1-0 win over Esperance in their Caf Champions League first-leg quarter-final, the result was marred by fan violence in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Peter Shalulile scored the only goal of the game just before the hour mark, and upon the final whistle, violence broke out at one end of Loftus Versfeld. The clashes seem to have erupted after the final whistle as away fans began to hurl objects at their rival supporters.
The clashes appeared to be between rival Sundowns and Esperance fans who had presumably travelled from the North African nation.
In the top corner of the stadium, fans can be seen rushing towards each other before many Esperance fans try to escape and fall down over a number of rows of empty seats.
Some fans tried to escape to an adjacent stand by jumping over railings with a massive drop below.
One fan was even seen hanging onto the railing as he struggled to pull himself up. Another fan, presumably a Sundowns fan judging by his yellow shirt, came to the rescue and pulled the man to safety as he would have otherwise fallen, which could have meant serious injury or even death.
Sports broadcaster Robert Marawa posted a video of the scene and said on X: “Not a good sight at the end of the #CAFCL clash at the Loftus Stadium between Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance Sportive de Tunis!!”
He ended his caption with, over to you, Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In the video, the stadium announcer can be heard pleading with fans for calm and for the ‘terrorising’ to cease. The announcer’s pleas were aimed directly at the opposition fans.
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