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The football match in Tanzania was suspended due to a swarm of bees. During the pre-season game between City FC Abuja and JKU FC at the Kwaraa Stadium in Babati, the two sides were at 1-1 but in the 78th minute, the play was stopped when a load of bees abruptly showed up and flew around the playing arena. With the sudden intervention of bees, players, referees, and the cameraperson saved themselves by lying on their stomach. However, spectators were expecting the developments from the stands.
Fortunately, no player was stung by the bees but it is unclear what drove the insects to the ground. There have been assertions that local weather or vibrations originated from the game may have contributed to the appearance of bees. After the brief halt, the match later continued and fans cheered for their favourite team. However, after the contest, they also went home with a memory of bees.
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Times when insects interrupted matches in football
In football, power outages, delays due to inclement weather, and pitch invasions have been witnessed several times but the match getting halted due to a swarm of bees is something unprecedented. In 2019, former Barcelona and former Brazil star Dani Alves and his teammates were stung by a swarm of wasps during the match between Sao Paulo and Fortaleza.
The game was halted until he recovered his bearings. Bee attacks during football games in Brazil are common. Besides football, a Test match between India and Australia in Bengaluru also saw the invasion of bees but no player was harmed then. In 2024, the contest between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev also got disturbed as the former player got a bee bite.
