Mamelodi Sundowns supporter Siboniso Masango has received praise from South Africans for his heroic actions that may have saved the life of an Esperance fan on Tuesday.
Sundowns defeated the Tunisian giants 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, but the victory was overshadowed by chaos that erupted in the stands after the final whistle. Fans from both teams were seen fighting, which led to the Esperance supporters being escorted onto the field for safety and subsequently out of the stadium.
Sundowns life-saving supporter identified
In an appearance on the Pitchside Podcast, Masango recounted how he saved an Esperance supporter from falling. He revealed that he did not think saving a fan would trend on social media and only saw the post the next morning.
“Only then do I see the video, someone took a video from the bottom and you just see how high up that man was. But only now, as the day progressed I realise ‘Ok, wow. This is insane’.
“But in that moment it was just adrenalin. As a football fan that’s not what you want to see, no matter the differences, the right thing to do in that moment is to help someone.”
Masanga said he saw an Esperance supporter clinging by the rail, but the Sundowns and Esperance fans did not go and help him.
“I ran, there were people in front of me just watching in shock. I ran because I saw what was happening.”
“As he was hanging by the railing, it was raining actually during the day, it was still wet, so he was slowly losing his grip. He ran and the first thing I did was grab his forearm,” he added.
Sundowns supporter reveals what the Esperance fan told him
“I grab his forearm to help him just balance, adjust his grip and hold on properly. In that moment as I do it, he says to me ‘please, please my brother, don’t do it, I have three kids’.
“That’s what went through his mind, [he thought] ‘you are about to finish me off’. He pleaded, ‘please, please my brother don’t do it’.
Sundowns supporter hailed for saving opposing fan
“I said to him ‘no, no don’t worry, I won’t let you go’. I told him ‘I’m going to try lift your bag, as I’m pulling your bag, try to lift up your knees so you can lift your legs over the barrier’.
“Did that a couple of times, eventually got it right and pulled him up. Went straight to the back, we both broke down in tears. In that moment, you’re looking at a man, who is sitting there and saying ‘I’m a father of three kids, please don’t do it’. He is thinking ‘omg, this guy is going to kill me’.
Masanga was attacked for trying to save a helpless fan
“The crazy thing is, even in that moment, as I’m trying to help this person, I’m still being attacked. I’m helping someone else but I’m still being attacked, bottles are being thrown at me.
“But then we went to the back, offered him some water and we both had a heartfelt moment. He was just saying ‘Thank you so, so much’,” said the Sundowns supporter.
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