ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 11 • 21 - 27 May 2010
White River
Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to safeguard the Chilean National team, which is based at the Ingwenyama Lodge just outside White River.
Captain Lenard Hlathi, the spokesperson for SAPS in the Lowveld said the team would be kept under 24 hour surveillance to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
“The team is well protected by the police. We are providing 24 hour protection to ensure that everything is order,” he said.
He went on saying that protection would also be provided for all the other teams who will be playing at the newly built ‘State of the Art’ Mbombela Stadium.
Chile landed in the province on Sunday, at the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport under heavy security protection.
Security was so tight that even Journalists were not allowed inside the Airport to take pictures and conduct interviews.
On arrival, the team was quickly whisked away from the thousands of supporters who had come to welcome them to the province.
Police’s presence was also visible at the team’s training camp, even before and after their practise match against New Zealand on Wednesday at Kanyamazane Stadium.
Chile will open the encounter at the Mbombela stadium when they take on unknown Honduras, on 16 June.
The 20th of June will see the province hosting a thriller between the current World Champs, Italy against New Zealand.
Another much anticipated match between DPR Korea and Cote d’ Ivoire will take place on the 25 June.
Mpumalanga gives Chileans a warm welcome