ESPN -- TEMBISA, South Africa -- Thousands of soccer fans stampeded the gates outside a stadium Sunday before a World Cup warm-up match between Nigeria and North Korea, leaving several people injured.
Several fans fell under the rush of people, many wearing Nigeria jerseys. The Makhulong Stadium in the Johannesburg suburb seats about 10,000 fans.
"The crowd just overpowered me and I went down," said Japhta Mombelo, who was bleeding from the head. "I fell down and people just fell over me.
"That crowd is overpowering. The police have told me to stay around and they will organize an ambulance, but I am still waiting."
This is over a scrimmage? I mean, I can see if they waited until the last second to announce a World Cup opener or something. Then those crazy fútbol fans would be going berserk. But they did this over a scrimmage between Nigeria and South Korea. Reckless abandon, running over fellow countrymen, opening gashes in each other's heads. Just to see a warm up friendly match? Come on people. You're trying to make soccer a world phenomenon and you make fools out of yourselves like this. Not helping your cause.
In fairness, though, how retarded is the administration of whoever organized this warm up match? Play it at the tiniest stadium in South Africa that has only one entrance gate? And announce that it's happening an hour before it does, giving free admission? Aren't you kind of just asking for a stampede when you do that?
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