CAPE TOWN, June 19 FIFA is to tighten match-day World Cup security after an England fan slipped into the players' dressing following a Group 'C' 0-0 draw with Algeria.

“It is of course totally unacceptable for FIFA that a fan finds his way up to the dressing rooms of any participating team at any FIFA competition,” FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot told reporters on Saturday. “Security will be tightened so this never happens again.”

Provincial police spokesman Colonel Billy Jones said on Saturday that the man was first apprehended by FIFA officials.

“The man did not engage with any of the players,” he said.

However, he was not then handed over to police after Friday's game but allowed to slip away into the crowd, he said.

Police have taken over security at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium following a wage dispute between stewards and the contracted security firm.

“The man was wearing a red t-shirt and jeans. We believe he is still in Cape Town,” Jones said, adding he could face charges of trespassing.

England spokesman Mark Whittle said the fan was apprehended and ejected by England's security forces.

“We reported the incident to FIFA. That is all there is to it,” said Whittle.

The organisers have insisted that security at all the matches would be top-notch despite strikes from private security companies which forced the police to take over.—Reuters

Opinion

A long war?

A long war?

Both sides should have a common interest in averting a protracted conflict but the impasse persists.

Editorial

Interlinked crises
Updated 04 May, 2026

Interlinked crises

The situation vis-à-vis the US-Israeli war on Iran remains tense, with hostilities likely to resume if the diplomatic process fails.
Climate readiness
04 May, 2026

Climate readiness

AS policymakers gather for the Breathe Pakistan conference this week, the urgency is hard to miss. Each year, such...
Kalash preservation
04 May, 2026

Kalash preservation

FOR centuries, the Kalash people have maintained a culture, way of life, language and belief system that is uniquely...
On press freedoms
Updated 03 May, 2026

On press freedoms

THE citizenry forgets, to its own peril, how important a free and independent media is in the preservation of their...
Inflation strain
03 May, 2026

Inflation strain

PAKISTAN’S return to double-digit inflation after 21 months signals renewed economic strain where external shocks...
Troubled waters
03 May, 2026

Troubled waters

PAKISTAN’S water crisis is often framed in terms of scarcity. Increasingly, it is also a crisis of contamination....