[Image: YouTube / SABC]
Jirre, the soccer fans these days are going hard at each other in stadiums across the country.
Just this week, two violent fights broke out in two separate provinces. On Tuesday, hundreds of Esperance supporters were injured during a fight with a section of Mamelodi Sundowns fans at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Then, one day later, a fight broke out at the Stellenbosch FC and Egyptian club Zamalek game at the Cape Town Stadium.
Okes obviously have a lot of pent-up anger and aggression, and soccer games seem to be the perfect place to unleash it all.
SowetanLIVE reports that chaos erupted at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday night after the Sundowns edged Esperance 1-0 in their CAF Champions League quarterfinal showdown, thanks to Peter Shalulile’s clinical second-half strike. But instead of packing up and plotting their revenge in Tunisia next week, Esperance fans apparently decided the best strategy was to throw hands instead.
Moments after the final whistle, all hell broke loose.
Esperance supporters, clearly not taking the loss well, kicked off a scuffle with a section of Sundowns fans. What started as a heated exchange quickly escalated into a full-blown riot, with fists flying and infrastructure taking an unexpected beating. Security and police had their hands full trying to separate the warring factions, but by then, the damage was done – hundreds of Esperance fans were left nursing injuries.
Fearing an encore from the Sundowns faithful, some Esperance supporters even stormed the pitch, waiting to be escorted out like VIP guests – except their limo was a police cordon. Meanwhile, others took a more destructive approach, breaking barriers and going full wrecking crew on stadium property.
As bruised and battered fans stumbled towards the changerooms in the mixed zone, medical staff scrambled to patch them up. Amidst the madness, one rare moment of sportsmanship stood out – a Sundowns supporter was seen helping an Esperance fan who nearly took a nasty fall from the grandstand – a bit of humanity in the middle of mayhem.
WATCH: A brave Mamelodi Sundowns fan heroically saved the life of an Espérance supporter during a violent clash between the two teams’ fans last night at Loftus Stadium. pic.twitter.com/EQZnliYZdf
— Limpopo Current Affairs (@BlaqSlav) April 2, 2025
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The Sundowns & Esperance tie ended in fan violence. Amidst the chaos, a Sundowns fan stepped up to help an Esperance supporter in need, a beacon of light in a dark moment. Football is secondary to human compassion.
pic.twitter.com/Mq0ob5YA03— Mthokozisi Dube (@dube_mthoko) April 1, 2025
A heroic Mamelodi Sundowns fan saved the life of an Esperance fan during a violent clash between the supporters of Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance last night at Loftus Stadium.#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/7tNLHPrfrp
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) April 2, 2025
With the second leg in Tunisia looming, one can only hope the rematch stays on the pitch this time. But if this chaos was any indication, next Tuesday might be just as explosive – on and off the field.
Then, on Wednesday, Cape Town Stadium erupted into a brawl as well, during the Stellenbosch FC and Egyptian club Zamalek game. The South African reports that despite an action-packed game, it ended in a 0-0 draw, which seemed to stir some tensions that spilled over into the stands, where Zamalek fans appeared to squabble amongst themselves.
Soon, fists began to fly, and stadium security and police were called in to intervene.
A violent altercation erupted among Zamalek supporters and what appeared to be fellow Arab spectators in the stands at Cape Town Stadium during Stellenbosch FC’s clash with the Egyptian side. @GOALcomSA | #CAFCC pic.twitter.com/ehlijQSesb
— Sandile Ndumo® (@sandilendumo1) April 2, 2025
On X, a Sundowns supporter, Lutic Molo Mosoane, called out match organisers for “poor planning and a lack of structure.” In an open letter, the fan claimed that Esperance fans were not called to order for repeatedly starting brawls before the match even began, as well as smoking in no-smoking zones.
Open letter: Sundowns vs Esperance: A Match Marred by Chaos, Fear, and Leadership Failure @CityTshwane @nasiphim @Masandawana @general_mphoski pic.twitter.com/KWnADUTWVw
— Lutic Molo Mosoane (@LuticMolo) April 1, 2025
Mosoane branded the free ticketing system a “disaster”, writing that “Security presence was woefully inadequate”.
“This was not merely a logistical failure. It was a leadership failure. It was a betrayal of the trust that supporters have [laced in the club, the Supporters Office, and the City
“It’s about accountability, safety, and dignity.”
The Sundowns supporter called on officials to conduct a full investigation into the incident, provide a briefing on safety strategy, and apologise to fans who were harmed.
[Sources: SowetanLIVE & The South African]
