At least 15 people were injured Sunday when fans tried to push their way into a local stadium to watch a pre-World Cup match between Nigeria and North Korea only five days before the tournament gets underway. The stampede was triggered mostly by Nigeria supporters, holding what police said were photocopies of tickets, trying to push their way into the 10,000-seater Makhulong stadium after the game had started, a Reuters witness said. The incident marred a day when more fans and teams flew in to South Africa which hosts the month-long football jamboree. It is the first time the 80-year-old tournament has been held in the continent. A police officer sustained serious injuries when fans pushed the gate on to him in their effort to enter the stadium to watch the match between the two World Cup participants. There was no immediate word about his condition. “He was crushed by the gates as people stormed them, trying to get in,” a police official at the scene told Reuters. Among those injured were at least two children, according to a Reuters witness. Nigeria won the match 3-1. A statement from the sport's governing body, FIFA, stressed that the match was not staged under its auspices and said it was still “fully confident” about its organization for the World Cup. With the arrivals of teams in full swing, competing nations were grappling with their own problems. The Dutch made a bad start to their campaign when they arrived in South Africa without injured winger Arjen Robben but a scan revealed the damage was not as bad as feared. Robben joined a growing list of injured top players, including Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, Nigeria's John Obi Mikel and England's Rio Ferdinand, when he pulled a hamstring in a friendly against Hungary on Saturday. “I decided not to call up a replacement to give him the chance to recover and get back in the squad during the tournament,” coach Bert Van Marwijk said. Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios was rated doubtful after injuring a groin muscle during a 3-0 defeat to Romania Saturday. Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar will miss his first international for two years when he sits out Monday's friendly against Tanzania due to a back injury.
