Violent Stampede Erupts for World Cup Warmup Match Between North Korea, Nigeria (Gallery)

Thousands of fans stampeded and broke down the stadium gates of a World Cup warmup game Sunday, resulting in a bloody mess.

Fans were crushing one another, many wearing Nigeria jerseys, as the crowd was rushing into the 10,000-seat Makhulong Stadium in suburban Johannesburg to watch Nigeria take on North Korea.

"The crowd just overpowered me and I went down," Japhta Mombelo, who was bleeding from the head, told The Associated Press. "I fell down and people just fell over me. That crowd is overpowering. The police have told me to stay around and they will organize an ambulance, but I am still waiting."

The first rush came when the gates opened to allow fans into the stadium. Police soon closed the gates, but when they were reopened, a second rush occurred, with even more people falling and being run over.

"When we were coming in they were just stepping on us," said Princess Mbali, who was wearing a green South Africa shirt. "I thought I was dying. I was at the bottom."

No one was seriously injured in the stampede. Last year, FIFA fined Ivory Coast's federation $46,800 after 22 people died in a stampede at a World Cup qualifying match.

Below are images from Sunday's horrifying event.