Violence mars Afghan football match

Security officials frisk a spectator as thousands mill outside the stadium

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Peacekeepers fired shots and used batons to push back thousands of Afghans angry at missing out on tickets to an exhibition football match in Kabul.

In a city starved of entertainment, Friday's "Game of Unity" between an Afghan national side and a team of international peacekeepers was meant to be a symbolic occasion -- Kabul's first key sporting event since the fall of the Taliban regime.

However, the scene outside Kabul's Olympic Stadium prior to and during the match descended into chaos after the limited number of tickets for the match sold out, denying thousands of would-be spectators entry.

The angry mob pushed against Afghan and multinational peacekeepers outside the stadium's gates, trying to get into the match.

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Local Afghans used tree branches and whips to keep the crowd of men and boys in order, and gunshots were fired by Afghan police.

Several people were injured, but further details were not immediately available.

The match went ahead and the situation was under control at half-time, though the atmosphere was still tense with the crowd occasionally throwing rocks and rallying against security personnel.

The game was expected to be a relaxed affair, taking place on a pitch used by the Taliban for public execution and amputations

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) team (white uniform), together with the Afghan national soccer team before the match

Friday's match furore is the second violent episode in Kabul in as many days, and has raised concerns over security in this Central Asian nation.

An angry group of would-be Hajj pilgrims stormed a plane carrying civil aviation and tourism minister Dr. Abdul Rahman at Kabul's airport on Thursday.

While initial reports said Rahman, a member of Afghanistan's interim administration, was beaten to death, CNN has learnt that he was stabbed to death.

Afghanistan's government has said it would set up an investigative committee to look into the incident.