COSAFA and ZIFA president Dr Phillip Chiyangwa has sent a message of condolence to the South Africa Football Association (Safa) following the death of two football fans during a stampede before a Carling cup match at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday.

Two fans died before the match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates while several others were injured. The match was allowed to continue after the situation was put under control.

In his message, which follows another stampede in Senegal which left eight dead, Dr Chiyangwa said he was deeply shocked by the tragic event. ‘We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of two lives on Saturday in South Africa. We are with the families of the deceased during these difficult moments. May you find comfort in the arms of the Lord. On behalf of Cosafa, Zifa and on my own behalf, I would like to send my sincere condolences to the families, Safa and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Dr Chiyangwa told the Association’s official website www.zifa.org.zw .

Dr Chiyangwa who arrived in the country on Friday after signing landmark football deals in the United Kingdom and the United States of America said they will continue to look at issues of security at various stadia in the region as lives mattered most. ‘Football fans form the nucleus of the game and they are very vital. With this in mind, we will continue to look at stadium security in the region with a critical eye with a view to making stadia safe for everybody,’ Dr Chiyangwa added.
The COSAFA and ZIFA chief recently embarked on the tour of the Cosafa region to inspect football infrastructure and state of the beautiful game.