“We didn’t expect that, in this day and age, something like this would happen again,” an emotional Kaizer Chiefs Chairman Kaizer Motaung said at a press conference at the PSL offices on Monday. “Our sincere condolences go to the bereaved families and also to those families of the injured.”

Chairman Motaung was joined at the press conference by Orlando Pirates Chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, Chiefs’ Marketing Director, Jessica Motaung and the CEO of Stadium Management South Africa, Jacques Grobbelaar.

Dr Khoza read a letter signed by the two club Chairmen that will be sent to the CEO of the PSL, indicating that they will recuse themselves from the investigation into Saturday’s incident, which resulted in two fatalities and numerous injuries.

“Nobody goes to a soccer match to die,” Dr Khoza said, mentioning as well that he and Kaizer Motaung sat down on Sunday morning to discuss the sad happenings at Saturday’s Carling Black Label Champion Cup game and the way forward.

“It’s imperative to know what happened,” the Pirates Chairman stressed, “after which it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure that this will never happen again. No stone must be left unturned.

“That is why both Mr Motaung and I have withdrawn ourselves from the investigation, so that it be done independently.”

The Chiefs Chairman concluded by reiterating that “I fully endorse what Dr Khoza has said.” He also pointed out that “we will engage with the families and we are planning to hold a memorial service.”