If the PSL do not start cracking down on local soccer hooligans, the ugliness seen at Newlands on Saturday evening will continue to repeat itself, writes iafrica.com?s Khaya Ndubane.

The ugly scenes at Newlands Stadium during Saturday night's MTN8 match between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs showed that hooliganism is still alive in South African soccer. These scenes have again raised concerns about security during next year's FIFA World Cup.

Following some questionable officiating from referee Peter Mabuza, Chiefs fans showed their anger by ripping stadium seats and throwing them and other missiles into the field. To make matters worse the security personnel seemed clueless as to how to stop the fans, and with the eyes of the world on South Africa ahead of 2010, these scenes cannot be repeated.

It took Premier Soccer League (PSL) General Manager of Football, Ace Ncobo's, bravery to calm down the angry Chiefs fans and to allow the match officials to leave the field. This was all taking place with security looking on as the fans bayed for the officials' blood.

Security at stadiums needs urgent attention, not only from the PSL, but from the LOC as well. They are after all the ones who are being embarrassed every time something goes wrong in South African soccer.

As expected, the PSL will come down on Chiefs by giving them a hefty fine, but how many times have Chiefs been fined for their fans? misbehaviour? Surely, someone must have figured it out that fining the club does not stop hooliganism?

With the World Cup just months away one would have thought that the PSL, in conjunction with the LOC, would have already come up with a plan to combat such behaviour by now.

They should have agreed to use only soccer trained security personnel in PSL matches to test their readiness ahead of the World Cup. They can also use the police who have been trained for the World Cup in order to test their readiness for next year's soccer showpiece.

Drastic action needs to be taken against the hooligans or these scenes will continue to blight local soccer. And with 2010 closing in, we cannot afford that...

  • Do you agree with Khaya? What can be done to stop hooliganism at stadiums? Let us know what YOU think!