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Football stampede in South Africa

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At least 15 people were hurt in South Africa on Sunday as thousands of football fans stampeded outside a stadium before a World Cup warm-up match between Nigeria and North Korea. The first rush came when the gates opened to allow fans into the Makhulong Stadium, in the Johannesburg suburb of Tembisa.

At least 15 people were hurt in South Africa on Sunday as thousands of football fans stampeded outside a stadium before a World Cup warm-up match between Nigeria and North Korea.
The first rush came when the gates opened to allow fans into the Makhulong Stadium, in the Johannesburg suburb of Tembisa.
Several fans could be seen falling under the rush of people, many wearing Nigeria jerseys.
Police soon closed the gates, but when they were reopened, a second rush occurred, with more people falling and being trampled on. Shortly after the second rush, the gates were closed again and much of the crowd dissipated. "At this moment we have 14 civilians that were slightly injured in the process, one policeman seriously injured," police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Opperman said outside the stadium. Opperman said tickets for the match were given out for free outside the stadium, leading to large numbers of people gathering outside. FIFA said it had nothing to do with the ticketing.
The Nigeria and North Korean players were lining up for the national anthems when the second surge happened and had no idea what was going on outside.
The match was suspended for about 10 minutes shortly after the second half began, but it restarted with Nigeria leading 1-0. The Nigerian "Super Eagles" went on to win the match 3-1.
Sunday's stampede incident came only five days before the start of the World Cup, the first to be held on the African continent. The Tembisa stadium, which seats about 12-thousand fans, is not being used for tournament matches.

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