4.4 Good sportmanship and fairness  (Page 5/5)

Nigeria was ahead with 2-0 when the match that was being held in the Vosloorus stadium on the East Rand, was stopped 20 minutes before the end.

Mr Ismael Bhamjee, executive member of the Confederation of African Soccer (Caf), said on Saturday that South Africa had to be prepared to face punishment from the international soccer federation.

Other matches that had been planned for Vosloorus were moved to other venues.

“People must accept that one can also lose a soccer match. Our people need to be educated in this respect,” Oliphant said.

Mr Ngcondo Balfour, minister of sport, indicated that Safa would do an independent inquiry and said that the Vosloorus stadium should not be used again for international matches until the inquiry had been completed.

On Saturday night fights broke out in different areas of Johannesburg – amongst others in Hillbrow – where innocent Nigerians were allegedly attacked.

Jaco Nel reports that a large group of men stormed out of the Sands Hotel in Berea, attacked two cars and killed two of the occupants. The police initially believed this incident to be soccer related.

Later that night a Nigerian and a man from Sierra Leone were arrested.

According to police spokesperson, inspector Mary Martins-Engelbrecht, the two cars, each with two occupants, stopped in front of the hotel at half past twelve yesterday afternoon.

The group stormed the vehicles and two occupants fled, but the others were bludgeoned to death by the crowd.

Beeld, 7 june 1993 (translated report)

A taxi driver from Durban alleges that he picked up the Cape Town athlete Herman Matthee (27) on the morning of the Comrades marathon from a hotel in Durban, and that he dropped him off at a shopping centre along the marathon route about 25 minutes later. Matthee was disqualified on Thursday evening because it is believed that he did not run the full 89,9 km between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. He ended seventh in the race and received a gold medal.

The taxi driver, who identified himself only as Elijah and who works for Swift Taxis in Stanger Street, said yesterday that he picked Matthee up from the Seaboard Hotel in Point Road, Durban, at approximately eight o’ clock on the morning of 31 May.

By this time the race had already been on for two hours after competitors had set off from the Town Hall in Pietermaritzburg at six o’ clock sharp.

It is alleged that Elijah dropped Matthee off about 25 minutes later at a shopping centre in Kloof, about 25 km from Kingsmead cricket stadium, where the race ended. According to Elijah he charged R100 for the trip. He recognised Matthee on photographs of the race and is convinced that he is the man who drove with him in his taxi.

“I can’t say that the man was fully dressed in running clothes. He wore shorts and had a jacket around his shoulders.” Elijah can’t say for sure that it was a tracksuit top.

“The man said nothing while we were travelling towards Kloof. There was no conversation between us,” Elijah said yesterday.

Matthee’s father, Mr Johan Matthee, said yesterday that his son was unhappy because he had to hear of his suspension through the media.

He believes that it is now a private matter between him and the race organisers. Matthee will not make any more statements on the matter to the media.

The organisers intend to look at Matthee’s performance of last year after allegations were made that he did not run the full marathon together with the other competitors then either. He ended twelfth in that race.

Assessment