Over 3,000 UK hooligans have been ordered to hand in their passports by Tuesday morning to British authorities to prevent them travelling to this summer’s World Cup – with a dozen already intercepted sneaking through Dubai.
South African Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa divulged details of the impending deadline as a stark example of the ongoing co-operation between South Africa and British joint effort to thwart violence at the upcoming tournament. He claimed over 3,200 identified hooligans will have to comply before tomorrow’s deadline.
“A month ago some of them were trying to go via Dubai to come to South Africa and both the South African and UK forces were able to [stop] them,” he added.
“We really will not take any nonsense this time around. This commitment by the UK authorities [to ban hooligans] is not just a commitment – it is something concrete,” he stated.
Passports will be returned on Sunday 11 July, the final day of the tournament. UK individuals with football banning orders must also report to the police on the day of England matches during the tournament.
Minister Mthethwa also sought to quell any speculation over the terrorism threat to South Africa, stating that “there is no specific terrorism threat to South Africa.”
“I don’t think our intelligence is weak, we are able to challenge anybody with our intelligence,†he added.
