A pre-season football match in Tanzania was brought to a dramatic halt when a swarm of bees invaded the pitch, forcing players, referees and staff to throw themselves to the ground for cover.
The fixture between City FC Abuja of Nigeria and Zanzibar’s JKU FC was dramatically suspended in the 78th minute when the bees descended on the Kwaraa Stadium in Babati.
The game had been finely poised at 1-1 when the unexpected interruption occurred.
Suddenly, dozens of players, officials and staff were forced into evasive action.
Players threw themselves to the floor in order to avoid being stung by bees
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In remarkable footage, both teams dropped flat to the turf, lying on their stomachs to avoid being stung.
An assistant referee joined them on the ground, while a television cameraman was also seen abandoning his equipment to seek cover.
Substitutes darted for safety, hiding under the dugout benches, though some appeared to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
The spectators in the stands, however, reacted very differently.
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While chaos unfolded on the pitch, many fans remained seated, seemingly unmoved by the sudden appearance of the swarm.
The cause of the incident has yet to be determined. Some suggested unusual weather conditions earlier in the week may have disturbed the bees.
Others speculated that the vibrations from the crowd and play might have triggered their sudden arrival.
Whatever the explanation, the sight of professional footballers pressed to the ground as insects buzzed above them provided one of the strangest interruptions to a game in recent memory.
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A cameraman lay down on the floor as the bees descended on the stadium
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Fortunately, reports confirmed that no players, officials, or fans were stung during the invasion.
After several tense moments, the bees eventually dispersed and play was able to resume.
City FC Abuja went on to have the “sting in the tail,” scoring a late winner to secure victory in the pre-season fixture.
Reactions quickly spread on social media as fans processed what they had just seen.
One viewer described the incident as “just unnecessarily funny.”
Another added, “Nature doesn’t care about your football schedule. Smart move to lie down though, hope no one got hurt.”
A third simply wrote: “Just wow.”
Bee-related interruptions in sport are rare but not unprecedented.
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Football players pictured lying on the floor in order to protect themselves from the swarm of bees
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In football, former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves was famously chased by a wasp while playing for São Paulo in 2019, a moment that briefly halted the match and left the veteran star visibly irritated.
Tennis has also had its share of insect drama: Carlos Alcaraz’s clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells in 2023 was suspended when the Spaniard was stung during a bee invasion, forcing officials to temporarily clear the court.
For City FC Abuja and JKU FC, meanwhile, the swarm at Kwaraa Stadium will likely be remembered as one of the more surreal experiences of their careers.