Mourners fill football stadium to pay last respects to South African star footballer Meyiwa

Goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot after an intruder broke into his girlfriend’s flat in Johannesburg last week

The coffin arriving and being driven around the stadium (Press Association )

Tens of thousands of people have attended the funeral of South African football captain Senzo Meyiwa in Durban, filling an entire stadium.

The death of the football star, who was shot after an intruder broke into his girlfriend’s flat in Johannesburg last week, has shocked South Africa and highlighted the high rate of violent crime in the country.

A suspect was charged with the murder of the goalkeeper after appearing in court yesterday.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban was packed with tens of thousands of fans who came to pay their final respects to a sportsman whose career looked set to explode at the time of his death.

Durban mayor James Nxumalo said: “The entire nation is crying. We have all lost.”

South Africa’s president ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast on Saturday in honour of the goalkeeper.

“Our hearts are bleeding,” Mr Nxumalo added.

Thousands were pictured wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Mr Meyiwa’s face, while others chose to wear either red or black replica football shirts in the colours of his team, Orlando Pirates.

Mourners cried as the coffin was driven into the stadium, followed by Mr Meyiwa’s teammates and club officials, while videos of the athlete training and playing were shown overhead.

Amid the grief there was also a strong undercurrent of anger about violent crime levels in the country.

Mr Meyiwa’s father Sam said to the BBC’s correspondent Tom Burridge, who attended the funeral, that he wanted more random searches, to cut the number of guns in South Africa.

Meyiwa's teammates flank the coffin (Press Association)

“We are no longer safe in our houses,” he claimed.

It has been a dark week for South African sport. The funeral of Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, a former world 800m world champion, also took place on Saturday. Mr Mulaudzi was killed in a car accident the day before Mr Meyiwa’s murder.

Female boxer Phindile Mwelase died last Saturday having fallen into a coma following a bout.