Tuesday 13 January 2026 marks 35 years since the worst disaster in the history of South African football.
On the same date in 1991, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates met at the Oppenheimer Stadium in the town of Orkney in the North West province in a preseason friendly.
Despite having a capacity of around 23 000 people at the time, fans came from far and wide to see the Soweto Derby in action leading to overcrowding in the stadium.
What should have been a competitive warm-up for the season ahead turned ugly after Kaizer Chiefs’ striker Fani Madida scored to hand AmaKhosi the lead.
Fans began to riot in reaction to the goal, leading to a stampede and crush which resulted in the deaths of 42 fans and left many others injured.
Madida recalled the tragic events of that day, speaking to Kaizer Chiefs’ official website in 2021.
“It was a day we were looking forward to as we knew 1991 would be a special season for us,” said the striker.
“This pre-season game in Orkney against Pirates was going to be the one where we would signal our intentions for the campaign ahead.”
“Unfortunately, the day did not turn out as expected and we lost 42 football fans who came out to enjoy a fun day of football. I remember after we had scored a goal, things became chaotic. It was a tragedy to have lost so many lives at a football game,” Madida said.
The attacker stated that the senseless loss of life and all those affected drove and inspired him on his way to scoring 34 goals in the 1991 season.
The events of that day altered the otherwise colourful and vibrant history of the beautiful game in South Africa.
While no such incident had happened since, the disaster lives long in the memory of South African football fans and players alike. As its 35th anniversary passes, we are reminded to remain vigilant so as to not allow history to repeat itself.
