CAF and COSAFA host Safe Stadium Initiative training programme in Johannesburg
A three-day CAF Safe Stadium Initiative training programme will be staged in Johannesburg, South Africa, from July 27–29 as part of continued efforts to strengthen safety and security standards at football venues.
The workshop brings together participants for a combination of classroom-based learning, scenario discussions and practical stadium exercises designed to enhance the planning and delivery of safe football events.
The programme will be led by safety and security instructors Ababacar Sene, Alan Khakame and Katharina Steinberg.
The opening day will begin with welcome remarks and a keynote address, followed by an address from CAF Head of Safety & Security Dr Christian Emeruwa outlining the purpose of the workshop.
The first sessions will examine the safety and security challenges faced across Africa, as well as the CAF Safety and Security Regulations that guide the organisation of matches and competitions on the continent.
Participants will also explore the responsibilities of the CSSO and the importance of collaboration between the different safety and security stakeholders involved in staging football events.
Other key areas to be covered on the opening day include the protection of players, match officials and VVIPs, effective stewarding, and the management of accreditation and access control at stadiums.
The second day will focus on several important operational aspects of match organisation, starting with ticketing and the processes used to determine and manage a stadium’s safe capacity.
Crowd management will form another central part of the programme, with participants set to discuss how spectators can be moved and controlled safely before, during and after matches.
The workshop will also cover contingency and emergency planning, supported by a scenarios and question-and-answer session that will allow participants to consider how they would respond to different incidents.
Further discussions will focus on prohibited items and pyrotechnics, while a video-based safety and security inspection will provide an additional practical learning element.
The final day will turn attention to the “last mile” and public access to the stadium, including the movement of supporters from transport points and surrounding areas towards the venue.
Participants will also receive instruction on barriers and queuing systems before travelling to a stadium for practical exercises.
These will include an access-board placement exercise and a barriers and queuing design exercise, giving participants the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the classroom sessions in a stadium environment.
The workshop forms part of CAF’s broader drive to promote safe, secure and welcoming stadium environments for players, officials and supporters across the continent.
