Chickens come home to roost

Cape Town - Why did the chicken enter the stadium? The World Cup's organising committee doesn't know, and doesn't like it.

Roosters were seemingly allowed into Cape Town Stadium during the match between France and Uruguay. The Gallic rooster is a French national symbol.

In the Beeld newspaper, a French supporter is shown in a photograph kissing his rooster in the stadium.

"No animals are allowed into stadiums," spokesperson Rich Mkhondo replied to questions by Sapa.

"Just like food and alcohol, the rules state clearly that no animals can be taken into the stadia.

"And why do people want to take their chickens there? The stadium is not there for playing with chickens... it's there to watch soccer."

If a group of Nigerians had been allowed to take their green-painted chickens into Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, their team may not have lost one-nil to Argentina. A group of them were left clucking outside the stadium.

Ridiculous

"This is ridiculous," John Okoro protested.

"We were allowed to take our chickens in 1998 (World Cup), but these people won't let us," he complained.

Okoro and a few of his countrymen in traditional green robes were attending the second day of the World Cup tournament.

Mkhondo stressed that like South Africans, international guests were also aware of the rules and regulations of attending any FIFA match.

"Our visitors know what the rules are... and what they can and cannot bring into the stadiums. Have you ever seen a live animal being brought into a stadium anywhere else?"

Mkhondo said people could stand outside stadia with their chickens, provided it was outside the ticket zone area. Anyone found attempting to take a pet into a stadium would be denied access, he warned.