Semi-final soccer celebrations turn stadium into wasteland
While sport has always united South Africans and essentially keeps youth off the streets and away from drugs, last night's out-of-hand Afcon semi-finals has left a bitter taste in the mouth of residents, who awoke to mass of waste.
The Kees Taljaard sports complex resembles a sea of rubbish, after last night’s semi-finals match between Nigeria and Bafana Bafana was aired for the public on the Middelburg Rugby Club’s A-field by the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
The event saw residents rocking up in numbers, with both the field and pavilion packed to the brim with Bafana supporters.
While the nation, and certainly Middelburg proudly backed the country’s national soccer team, spectators threw pride to the wind in a moment of festivity leaving piles of empty alcohol bottles scattered across the pavilion and rugby field.
Stadium security advised boot camp members who met at the stadium this morning to avoid the field due to the amount of waste, describing the scene as “chaos”.
The signs advertising sponsors along the field were also vandalised during the festivities.
The Kees Taljaard rugby pavilion has been meticulously manicured and preserved at the cost of the Middelburg Rugby Club, which is largely to thank for the fact that Middelburg is one of few towns with a stadium in such a neat condition.
Meanwhile, sport facilities in other towns such as Belfast, Bethal, Secunda, and Vrede have been left to deteriorate, resulting in sport clubs having to make use of school facilities instead..
Even the Themba Sinamela and Nasaret Stadiums are currently unusable.
• Bafana Bafana and Nigeria were neck and neck during the semi-finals, until Nigeria claimed the match through penalties with a final score of 4 – 2, pushing them through to the Africa Cup of Nations finals against the Ivory Coast.
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