What began as a seemingly routine match exploded into a shocking melee that saw the referee brandish 17 red cards — sixteen of them during a full-scale brawl so wild that police had to wade in with pepper spray to break up the fighting.

According to Bolivian outlet El Potosi, the spark was a confrontation involving Blooming players and Oruro duo Sebastian Zeballos and Julio Vila. Within moments, the tension escalated into a flurry of punches, kicks and shoving that rippled across both teams.

What made the scene even more surreal was the sight of coaches and backroom staff diving into the fray. Oruro coach Marcelo Robledo was not only involved but later photographed in hospital, an image the club shared on Instagram as a stark reminder of the mayhem.

A Night of Red Cards and Blue Lights

The referee, overwhelmed but unrelenting, issued punishments with a severity rarely seen in world football:

• 7 Blooming players sent off (six after the brawl)
• 4 Oruro players dismissed
• 6 red cards to staff members, including Oruro’s coach

The red-card count climbed so rapidly that spectators reportedly lost track of who was still eligible to play.

Blooming later revealed in an Instagram update that a member of their security team required surgery after sustaining a fractured cheekbone during the violence — further evidence of the extraordinary nature of the clash.

Amid the chaos, a football match did have a result. Blooming, who entered the second leg with a 2–1 lead, held on to win the tie 4–3 on aggregate, booking a place in the semi-finals.

Their reward? A showdown with Club Bolivar, reigning champions of Bolivian top-flight football — a team likely to be far more interested in goals than in grappling.

While Blooming progress, the Copa Bolivia is left with a new chapter of ignominy, raising questions about on-field discipline, match security, and how such a meltdown could unfold on a professional stage.

Seventeen red cards, police pepper spray, hospital visits, players and staff streaming off the pitch — this was a night that left even seasoned South American football followers shaking their heads.

In a sport where anything can happen, Bolivia just raised the bar for chaos.

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The RSF did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It has regularly denied accusations of systematic abuses during a 20-month-old war with Sudan’s army that has devastated the country and displaced more than 12 million people.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had documented 79 cases of rape of women and girls as young as seven. It said it had interviewed seven survivors, including one who said she was held with 50 other women and raped repeatedly over three months.

The report said fighters had targeted women from the Nuba group in the remote area that borders South Sudan, and that the attacks amounted to war crimes.

“Survivors described being gang raped, in front of their families or over prolonged periods of time, including while being held as sex slaves by RSF fighters,” Belkis Wille, associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, said.

Women described being chained together after attempting to escape and kept in “a pen-like setup with wires and tree branches”, the report said.

ACCUSATIONS

Most of the attacks had been reported since the RSF launched assaults on the town of Habila and other settlements on Dec. 31, 2023, the report added.

The army and the SPLM-N, a rebel group largely comprised of people from the Nuba ethnicity, control the rest of the state, which they have fought over for years.

Human Rights Watch quoted one Nuba woman describing how attackers referred to her ethnicity. “As they raped us, they said to each other, ‘These Nuba are our slaves, we can do anything we want,'” she was quoted as saying.

The RSF was accused last year of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing by the United States for a campaign of attacks against members of the Massalit group in West Darfur state. The RSF has denied widespread abuses, but said it would investigate individual soldiers.

Sudan’s army is also accused of war crimes by the United States and UN experts, who have said it has carried out indiscriminate airstrikes in RSF territory and blocked aid – charges dismissed by the army.

The war between the two forces broke out in April 2023 over disagreements on the integration of the two forces during a transition to democracy. The RSF swiftly seized about half of the country, but the army has made recent gains in the capital Khartoum and areas to the south.

-Reuters

At least 100 people were reportedly killed in a crush at a football match in Guinea’s second-largest city, Nzérékoré.

That death toll is disputed by many in the country, who believe the true number of dead is closer to 100.

Some reports indicate that events unravelled following a decision by the referee, who sent off two players from the visiting team, Labé, and awarded a controversial penalty kick.

In the message, Dr Oladipo the head of AFFOSSU remarked: “I hereby send my condolences on behalf of all sports supporters of Africa tithe Guinea Football Federation over the sad incidence. May the Souls of those who died during the collapse, rest in perfect peace.

AFFOSSU , the continental supporters club body, was formally recognised by CAF at a ceremony at Alisa Hotel North Ridge in Accra, Ghana in 2008.

A controversial refereeing decision sparked crowd violence and tear gas volleys from police during the match in the town of Nzerekore, leading to a deadly scrum as spectators tried to flee.

A collective of human rights groups in Nzerekore region said on Tuesday its higher estimate was based on information from the hospital, cemeteries, witnesses at the stadium, families of victims, mosques, churches, and the local press.

“We now estimate 135 people died at the stadium, mostly children under the age of 18,” it said in a statement, adding that over 50 people were still missing.

The group blamed security forces for using excessive tear gas and prioritising the protection of officials over spectators.

It also said vehicles carrying officials and others escaping the stadium had struck spectators as they tried to flee what it described as an overcrowded venue whose gate was being obstructed by security forces.

It said it held the tournament organisers responsible as well as Guinea’s ruling junta, as they provided technical and financial support for the event honouring military leader Mamady Doumbouya.

The government, which promised on Monday to launch an investigation, has not responded to the group’s statement.

-Reuters

His brother had been in town for the funeral of their father who died last week, and the two had gone to watch the final of a tournament in honour of Guinea’s junta leader Mamady Doumbouya.

Cisse left before chaos erupted in the stadium, leading to a crush that killed at least 56 people, including his brother.

“It was at 7 p.m. that a friend called me to tell me that the situation was very tense there (at the stadium),” Cisse said.

“I was told to call my brother’s number but it was not going through. It was when I went to the hospital that I found his body.”

A city administration official said many victims were children caught in the turmoil after police started firing tear gas.

“We saw four bodies, all young. The gate fell on children. The passing vehicles didn’t even pay attention to people exiting; a small child was even violently run over,” said Moriba Haba, a 16-year-old secondary school student involved in the crush, told Reuters.

“I was very scared. I have never witnessed things like this … I saw children crying, screaming their mothers’ names. I was saddened but I didn’t have the strength to help them.”

Siba Alain Loua, a 17-year-old speaking from a hospital bed, said he fell when the panic started but managed to stand up.

“There were several deaths on the spot,” he said.

“My friends helped me get home last night. This morning we came to the hospital for treatment.”

The crush was triggered by a disputed red card in the 82nd minute of the match. Fans threw stones, sparking violence, the government said in a statement promising an investigation.

“The tragedy is immense – it’s overwhelming and I’m at a loss for words,” said Kolie Pepe, a Nzerekore resident who lost a sister.

“Honestly, the organisation was not good… Everything should have been well prepared at the military camp for good security at the event.”

-Reuters

December 2024, Guinea

A disputed refereeing decision triggered violence and a crush at a soccer match in the southeastern city of Nzerekore, killing 56 people, authorities said.

October 2022, Indonesia

At least 125 people died and more than 320 were injured after a football match in East Java involving Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya. Arema FC supporters invaded the pitch at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang following a 3-2 defeat and police fired tear gas, triggering a crush and suffocation.

January 2022, Cameroon

At least eight people died and 38 were injured in a crush at the Yaounde Olembe Stadium in Cameroon before the host country’s Africa Cup of Nations last-16 game against Comoros.

February 2012, Egypt

Fans rioted at the end of a match between rivals Al-Masry and Al-Ahly in the city of Port Said. At least 73 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured, and the Egyptian league was suspended for two years.

March 2009, Cote d’Ivoire

At least 19 people were killed during chaos at Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium before a World Cup soccer qualifying match against Malawi.

May 2001, Ghana

Around 126 people were killed in a crush at Accra’s main soccer stadium when police fired tear gas at rioting fans in one of Africa’s worst soccer disasters.

April 2001, South Africa

At least 43 people were crushed to death when soccer fans tried to force their way into Johannesburg’s huge Ellis Park Stadium midway through a top South African league match.

October 1996, Guatemala

Up to 82 people died and at least 147 were injured when an avalanche of fans tumbled down seats and a flight of stairs at a World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City.

May 1992, France

A stand at Bastia’s Furiani Stadium collapsed before a French Cup semi-final against Olympique de Marseille, killing 18 and injuring more than 2,300.

In 2021, the French parliament passed a law banning professional matches taking place in the country on May 5 in memory of the victims.

January 1991, South Africa

Forty-two people died in a crush during a pre-season game at the Oppenheimer Stadium in the mining town of Orkney between the Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates. A Pirates fan had attacked Chiefs supporters in the crowd with a knife.

April 1989, Britain

96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death in an over-crowded and fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield before an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

A 97th victim died in 2021 after suffering irreversible brain damage from the Hillsborough disaster.

March 1988, Nepal

A rush towards locked exits in a hailstorm at Nepal’s national soccer stadium in Kathmandu killed more than 90 fans.

May 1985, Belgium

Thirty-nine fans died and more than 600 were injured in fan violence before the European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

May 1985, Britain

At least 56 people were killed and more than 200 injured when fire broke out in the stands at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford during a third division match against Lincoln City.

October 1982, Russia

Fans were crushed as they left a UEFA Cup tie between Spartak Moscow and Dutch side HFC Haarlem at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Officials from the former Soviet Union did not disclose the tragedy for years. When they did, they gave an official death toll of 66 although the number who died in a crush at one exit could have been as high as 340.

-Reuters

The fatalities occurred during the final of a tournament in honour of Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya at a stadium in Nzerekore, one of the nation’s largest cities.

Some fans threw stones, triggering panic and a crush, the government statement said, promising an investigation.

A video authenticated by Reuters showed dozens of people scrambling over high walls to escape.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the city’s administration said many victims were minors caught in the turmoil after police started firing tear gas. The official described scenes of confusion and chaos with some parents retrieving bodies before they were officially counted.

Videos and pictures shared online showed victims lined up on the ground. In one video, over a dozen inert bodies could be seen, several of them children.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify that footage.

Opposition group National Alliance for Change and Democracy said authorities bore responsibility for organising tournaments to bolster political support for Doumbouya in contravention of a transition charter prior to a promised presidential election.

There was no immediate response from the military junta to that accusation.

Reuters

Ivan Buhajeruk, who is better known as Spreen and has more than 7 million subscribers on YouTube, has no professional football experience but was named as a striker in the side by coach Cristian Fabbiani.

The 24-year-old was subbed off after only 50 seconds during a break in play for a foul.

The lowly Buenos Aires club, who are known for their unconventional marketing strategies, gave Buhajeruk a professional contract and registered him with the Argentine FA in February.

Match commentators on local broadcaster Tyc Sports were scathing of Buhajeruk’s performance in the short time he was on the pitch.

“He doesn’t even know where to stand … it’s unbelievable,” one commentator said. “This is shameful, it’s a total disgrace.”

Fabbiani told a local radio station that he had spoken to Velez coach Gustavo Quinteros ahead of the match to tell him he did not want to disrespect anyone by naming Buhajeruk in the team.

“He laughed and told me to leave him for half an hour. It’s something contractual that was signed a long time ago and the club depends a lot on publicity … It was probably a one-time thing,” he added.

Former Argentina international Juan Sebastian Veron, now president of Argentine club Estudiantes de la Plata, was unimpressed by the publicity stunt.

“A total lack of respect for football and footballers,” he wrote on Instagram.

Argentine newspaper La Nacion wrote on its website: “How to disrespect the history and future of Argentine football in one minute”.

Riestra have enjoyed an impressive maiden campaign in the Primera Division and in ninth place, level on points with giants Boca Juniors.

Monday’s match ended 1-1.

-Reuters

One of the goalkeepers who was injured in the incident is being treated for serious burns, while three other players aged 14, 16 and 24 are in stable condition at the hospital.

A football player was killed after he was struck by lightning in Peru during a match on Nov 3, with four others left injured by the accident. PHOTOS: ONDA DEPORTIVA HUANCAVELIC

The player who died was identified as Hugo De La Cruz, a defender for Juventud Bellavista.

The local municipality, in a statement reported by CNN, said: “We join in solidarity and extend our sincere condolences to the family of young Hugo De La Cruz, who, after being struck by lightning, unfortunately lost his life while being taken to the hospital.

“We also express our support and wishes for a speedy recovery to the other four players injured in this tragic accident.”

A spot on the ground where the lightning appears to have made contact after striking a football player during a match on Nov 3. PHOTO: ONDA DEPORTIVA HUANCAVELIC

The game was being played at Coto Coto stadium in the town of Chilca, about 70km south-east of the Peruvian capital Lima, and had just been ordered to pause due to the storm, CNN reported.

In video footage of the incident broadcast by local TV station Onda Deportiva Huancavelic, football players can be seen walking on the pitch in the 22nd minute of a match between local teams Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca.

A bright flash and loud sound is heard and one of the players is engulfed in smoke in what appears to be a small explosion.

In that instant, seven other players are seen to fall over at the same time as the players further away run offscreen. Following this, some of the players can be seen struggling to get to their feet.

The video then cuts to a spot on the ground where the lightning appears to have struck, with footage from earlier in the match where thunder can be heard rumbling.

How were the other players injured?

Lightning can produce what is known as a ground current when it strikes the ground or an object on the ground, said the United States National Weather Service website.

The discharge of electricity then occurs in and along the ground surface, creating the dangerous and potentially deadly ground current near where the lightning strikes.

This phenomenon is responsible for “many lightning deaths and injuries”, as well as the deaths of many farm animals.

The local authorities believe Mr De La Cruz may have been struck by the bolt of lightning because of a metal bracelet he was wearing at the time, with an official saying it was “like a magnet”, reported British daily The Telegraph.

In February, an Indonesian footballer died after being struck by lightning during a match at the Siliwangi Stadium in the city of Bandung, about 150km south of Jakarta.

In a similar incident in Singapore more than two decades ago, Jiang Tao, an 18-year-old player with the now-defunct Chinese S-League club Sinchi FC, was killed in March 2004 after he was struck by lightning during training at the Jurong Stadium, which has since been demolished.

-Strait Times

The team, named Fenix FC after the mythical bird symbolising rebirth, played some friendlies and seven-a-side games last season but now competes in the fifth tier in the northwestern region of Catalonia after being incorporated into a local club in the Barcelona suburb of Sant Feliu de Llobregat.

Spain passed a pioneering trans rights bill last year designed to make it easier to change a person’s legal gender identity. But intolerance persists, with a record 302 cases of discrimination or violence against LGBT people in Catalonia in 2023, a quarter of which targeted transgender victims, according to data compiled by the region’s Observatory against LGBTphobia.

Hugo Martinez, 24, told Reuters he faced abuse when he began transitioning with gender-affirming hormone therapy and was forced to leave the women’s soccer team in which he had played.

“I was a boy playing in the girls’ team, but without a changed ID, so I wasn’t yet allowed to play with boys,” he said, recounting how other players, coaches and parents in the stands often hurled insults and threats at him.

The experience prompted Martinez to put out a call online for other trans men seeking to play soccer in a safe environment. Setting up Fenix FC took three years.

‘SAFE SPACE’

Captain Luke Ibanez, 19, said he was hesitant about playing for a team with cisgender – or non-trans – men, as he feared he would not fit in or even suffer violence. So when Martinez told him about his idea for an all-trans side, he quickly jumped on board.

“Fenix is a team of trans boys created entirely by trans boys, but I think it’s more than that – a family, a safe space where you can be free and express yourself however you want and how you really feel.”

In response to Reuters’ emailed questions about their current policy, the Catalan FA said its men’s leagues have been mixed for the past two seasons, meaning players of any gender can participate regardless of their official identity.

Players may also choose to use a name that’s different from their legal one, it added. Other regional FAs have limited these modifications up to a certain age group, while the rules vary in other sports.

Fenix’s first game of the season on Sept. 21 ended with a 19-0 defeat. But for its fans and players, trans men having the right to play their favourite sport on equal terms is far more important than the score.

-Reuters