The recent wave of insecurity has not spared the beautiful game as Police cancelled  the much awaited blockbuster friendly between Germany and Holland on Tuesday in Hanover over bomb scares.

  • By Amos Abuga
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hann opThe finding of a suspicious object led to evacuation of fans from the HDI Arena just a few hours before the game was supposed to take place. Hanover’s chief of police, Volker Kluwe, told German news agency DPA: “We have received concrete information that someone was planning to set off explosives inside the stadium.”

Police spokesman Joerg Hoffmeister told The Associated Press that everyone inside had to be evacuated after the as-yet unidentified object was found.

The Hanover mayor, Stefan Schostok, told Bild  “Safety is paramount. This is a fear you will always have. I trust the police have made the right decision. If a threat situation exists, then those steps must be taken.”

Announcements at the stadium in northern Germany advised people to go home in a calm manner, and that there was no danger to fear. Most fans were still waiting outside when the order to evacuate came about an hour and a half before kick-off. A statement later said fans should leave “quickly, but should go without panic back home. Please go in small groups back home, it’s better this way.”

Police said in a brief statement that: “The visitors, who were already in the stadium at that time, were asked to leave the stadium without panicking.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several cabinet ministers were expected to attend the match, which comes four days after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Two Dutch government ministers attending the match – Defence Minister Jeanine Hennes and Health and Sport Minister Edith Schippers – were on their way to the airport to return home.

The world champions had initially not wanted the game to go ahead after having played against France in Paris on Friday as a wave of attacks hit the city, killing over 140 people.




Amos Ondieki (24 Posts)

Amos is a Kenyan who is passionate with sports but has a bias for football. Currently doing his MBA course from the Greenwich and Saxion Universities. follow him on Twitter @AMOKC1oo1