MNINAWA NTLOKOAPPREHENSIVE soccer bosses and millions of equally nervous South Africans will be on the edge of their seats when the compact Orlando Stadium hosts southern Africa’s biggest match — the Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates — in the glare of the world’s spotlight on Saturday.
Chiefs initially planned to host the encounter at the 52000-seater Loftus Versfeld Stadium but after the Cheetahs shocked the Sharks and the Bulls beat Western Province in the Currie Cup semifinals two weeks ago, the derby was forced to be moved to the smaller Orlando Stadium.
The refurbished Orlando venue can only accommodate 35000 spectators — 30000 in the open stands and 5000 in the suites — and Premier Soccer League (PSL) GM for security Phillip Masimong admitted yesterday that they were crossing their fingers that the encounter would be without incident.
“The whole world will be watching this match and we cannot afford to have anything going wrong,” Masimong said.
“The 2010 World Cup is only a few months away and we need everything to be perfect at Orlando. That is why we have had numerous security meetings planned almost the whole week.”
Masimong said a huge security operation that would include a “bomb sweep” would be mounted around Orlando a day before the match.
The PSL and the clubs had initially decided on providing around 619 security personnel but after serious consideration, the number was increased to 736.
Part of the security measures include the enlisting of crime intelligence inside and outside the venue, mounted police, multiple road closures in the township and various other plans that would be effected a day before the encounter.
Chiefs fans, in particular, have become notorious for causing havoc at soccer matches, and the PSL and the 2010 local organising committee will be hoping that the scenes that played out at Newlands Stadium during the side’s ill-tempered MTN8 semifinal clash against Ajax Cape Town in August are not repeated at Orlando on Saturday.
Chiefs have a R150000 suspended sentence hanging over their heads after the PSL instructed the serial offenders to only pay R350000 of the record R500000 fine they were given as punishment for the actions of their volatile supporters. Their angry fans ripped up the stadium seats at Newlands and threw the debris on to the pitch, together with an assortment of plastic bottles, vuvuzelas and other dangerous objects during the tempestuous encounter.
That incident at Newlands somehow escaped the attention of the world media but, as Masimong said, there is no way similar scenes could go unnoticed if they happened during the Soweto derby.
He said management would closely monitor the conduct of the security stewards and they would be required to keep their focus firmly on the stands rather than on the pitch. Stewards often miss crowd trouble in the stands as they are too busy watching the match rather than keeping their eyes on the fans.
“Security are there to work and not enjoy the match. They have also been instructed to search the supporters for marijuana because they have been smuggling it into our stadiums for years,” he said.
“We want to see marijuana-free stadiums, and people who are caught with the drug in their possession on Saturday will be arrested and taken to Orlando police station.”
ntlokom@bdfm.co.za
source: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=85394
