Bafana fan Maake disputes claims he sold tickets for Ethiopia clash

Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana supporter Saddam Maake was on Tuesday held ‘hostage’ by a section of fans who travelled from Mpumalanga to FNB Stadium.

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The fans claimed that Maake sold tickets which were meant for them to watch the Fifa World Cup qualifier between Bafana and Ethiopia.

Maake spent the most part of the game outside the stadium, as Bafana went on to register a 1-0 win over the Ethiopians.

The supporters accused Maake of selling tickets after it was “agreed” that he will hand the tickets over to them when they arrive at the ground.

However, Maake disputed the allegations that he sold tickets and said while he was in Mpumalanga during the Vooma vaccination campaign, he explained to the Bafana supporters  in that province how they must get the tickets.

“Some of these guys are making me seem like a bad person, they just want to sabotage me. I spoke to them when I was in Mbombela, I even spoke to them over the phone days before the match and gave them the website where they had to register for those tickets because they were for free,” said the disappointed Maake.

“They said they can’t access the site and told me that they are no longer coming. Now on the day of the game people are calling me and asking about tickets. I tried to resolve the issue and tried to speak to someone from stadium management, but they (fans) just kept me outside and I only got to enter the stadium in the 40^th minute. But, I had to help the guys out and didn’t really mind because I am a football fan just like them. But at the end of the day rules are rules.”

The South African Football Association opened the stadium for only 2000 vaccinated fans for the very first time since the coronavirus pandemic started early last year.

The prominent Amakhosi and Bafana supporter said allowing only 2000 fans at the FNB Stadium was wrong, but hopes next time more fans will be allowed to attend matches at the stadium.