FIFA insists it is not at fault for the crowd stampede which occurred outside a stadium in Johannesburg.
World governing body had 'nothing to do' with game
Fifa insists it is not at fault for the crowd stampede which occurred outside a stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The incident, which happened during the World Cup warm-up game between Nigeria and North Korea, left several people injured, including two police officials.
The World Cup gets underway in South Africa in less than a week, and world governing body Fifa have moved to distance themselves from any involvement with the Makhulong Stadium episode.
Blame
"FIFA and the Organising Committee (OC) of the 2010 FIFA World Cup have been informed by the South African Police Services (SAPS) about the incidents which have taken place today on the occasion of the friendly match between Nigeria and Korea DPR played in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg," said a statement from Fifa.
"FIFA and the OC would like to first wish a prompt recovery to those who have been affected by these incidents.
"In addition, FIFA and the OC would like to reiterate that this friendly match has no relation whatsoever with the operational organisation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which we remain fully confident.
"Contrary to some media reports, FIFA had nothing to do with the ticketing of this game."
Tickets for the friendly match at the 10,000 capacity ground were free, meaning authorities were put under pressure when a larger number of fans arrived for the game.
Explaining what happened, the South African Police Services (SAPS) said in a statement: "The friendly match was arranged by a private company and tickets were apparently being handed out by the teams outside the stadium.
"Initial reports from the stadium, which is not a 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium, indicate that 10,000 tickets were distributed outside the stadium but a number of fans wanted to enter the stadium without tickets.
"It would seem that there was also some confusion among the crowd as to the ticketing system which led to disruptive behaviour on the part of the crowd.
Serious
"Police members immediately started implementing crowd management measures but the crowd became unruly and pushed against the gates, forcing them open on two occasions.
"One police official was seriously wounded when he was trampled by the crowd, one police official was slightly injured but remained on duty.
"The police official (seriously wounded) is in a stable condition. The police did all in their power to prevent fatalities and minimise injuries."
