Soccer: FA 'thoughts and prayers' with South African soccer

The Football Association have expressed condolences to their South African counterparts and offered help in the aftermath of the Ellis Park disaster.

Forty-seven fans were killed in a stampede at the Johannesburg stadium when supporters without tickets tried to gain entry to the Kaiser Chiefs' crunch match with the Orlando Pirates.

This Sunday marks the 12th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, and FA executive director David Davies has phoned South African FA chief executive Danny Jordaan, who had led his country's 2006 World Cup bid.

He added a further message to him in writing.

Davies told Jordaan: "Everyone here in England is deeply shocked by what has happened at Ellis Park.

"We can only imagine how you are feeling and obviously our sympathies go to the families of all those people who have lost their lives in such terrible circumstances.

"Our predecessors at the FA in England know what it is like to go through such terrible events. I know the impact that those events had on them.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody touched by this tragedy in South Africa. Your friends in England will seek to do anything that is helpful at this tragic time."

Having contested the race to host the 2006 World Cup, which was won by Germany, relations between the English and South African FAs have since been reinforced.

Indeed, former South African president Nelson Mandela has asked the England team to play South Africa and negotiations are currently underway to attempt to find a suitable future date.