Public safety officials are saying the deadly stampede that killed two people at the Johannesburg football stadium that hosted the opening and final of the 2010 World Cup was caused by fans presenting and trying to buy fake tickets.

18 people were injured – one of them critically – in the incident that’s forcing authorities to re-examine safety at venue’s housing South Africa’s most popular sport.

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Tickets sold out two weeks ago for the pre-season clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs, who are easily South Africa’s  most popular football teams.

87 000 people had packed into the 90 000 capacity First National Bank Stadium that was originally called Soccer City.

The tragic incident occurred when a gate was opened and fans tried to push in.

It went unnoticed by the television cameras covering the game.

Indeed the authorities at the stadium did not realize the seriousness of what was happening.

The game ran to full time with Chiefs winning 1-0.

South Africa’s not unused to football stampedes.

42 people died in a crush at  Orkney stadium 180 kms from Johannesburg on the banks of the Vaal River  in 1991.

A decade later, in what has been the country’s worst sporting disaster, 43 people died of blunt force trauma in a stampede at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg which hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

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