Mayhem erupts in Loftus Stadium after Mamelodi Sundowns’ victory over ES Tunis

by Nomonde Simelane

What started out as a typical competitive showdown between South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis ended in mayhem after fans participated in a chaotic brawl in Loftus Stadium.

Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance Sportive de Tunis, aka ES Tunis, met up for the first leg of their quarter-final showdown. As expected, due to the high level of skills and talent, the match was a tightly contested one, which saw the lone goal, scored by Namibian striker Peter Shalulile, come in the 54th minute after a well-delivered pass from the promising youngster Jayden Adams.

Although the match-up provided quality football and entertainment to viewers, what occured in the stands after the 90-minute whistle blew is what has made waves across the continent and overshadowed the performance pulled off by both sides, as chaos ensued between both teams’ fans and spectators.

Although the exact trigger of the brawl has not been identified, speculation reveals that ES Tunis fans were unhappy about their team falling short to Masandawana and expressed their frustration by attacking Sundowns supporters, as well as damaging stadium property. In retaliation, the Sundowns fans then returned the favour, which led to physical altercations between the fan bases that spread across the stands.

Security personnel then had to step in as water bottles and other dangerous objects, such as the railing, started flying around. They played a vital role in and came to the aid of the overwhelmed ES Tunis fans who were in danger of the larger and upset Sundowns crowd.

The incident has given rise to the conversation regarding the hooliganism displayed by fans yesterday. As expected, South African spectators have placed the blame on the fans of the North African side, as they cite similar

One spectator in particular has emerged as the hero of the day, after he spotted saving an ES Tunis fan from falling and potentially sustaining serious or fatal injuries. Social media users have applauded the individual and his selflessness to still offer assistance despite the situation at hand. Some have labelled this as the ultimate act of Ubuntu, a philosophy that drives and defines what it means to be South African.

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