Bees invade soccer match, causing players to hit the ground
Pitch invasions are usually unwelcome in sport, and especially if the invaders can sting you.
That's what happened to players of Liga de Portoviejo and Manta FC of Ecuador's second division on Saturday, when bees descended 26 minutes into the game at Reales Tamarindos Stadium.
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Players and officials hit the ground in near unison, leaving them on the deck for half a minute as they waited for the flying insects to pass.
¡TODOS AL SUELO! Ataque de abejas obliga a paralizar unos minutos el Clásico entre @LDUPoficial y @MantaFutbolClub #SerieB #Ecuador pic.twitter.com/Ne0nV9L19T
— Paul Ochoa (@theshulman) June 9, 2018
"Match stopped. Bees invade the playing field. #ThingsThatHappenInFootball," reads a translated tweet from Manta FC's account. Exactly what type of bees they were, or why they decided to swarm the field remains to be seen.
Once the danger had passed, players resumed the game. Portoviejo couldn't come back from bee-hind, as Manta FC was eventually triumphant with a 3-2 win.
⚽⚽⚽ Jugadores debieron acostarse en el piso para precautelar su seguridad mientras pasaban abejas por el estadio donde se entrentan #LigadePortoviejo vs el #Manta pic.twitter.com/dRQ0JnGfBS
— La Marea de Manta (@LaMareaec) June 9, 2018
¡INSÓLITO! Un ataque de abejas interrumpió el partido entre Liga de Portoviejo y el Manta FC ► https://t.co/cIDVo2CQaD pic.twitter.com/DLGjd9r4XT
— Marcador (@marcadorec) June 9, 2018
Last year, bees also invaded the pitch during a cricket game in South Africa, which forced play to stop for an hour.
Swarm of bees at Wanderers. Everyone has dropped to the ground. pic.twitter.com/47tXHGIZRW
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) February 4, 2017
Staff used a fire extinguisher, and eventually a beekeeper, to help ward off the bees.
South Africa v Sri Lanka game stopped. Due to bees. Beekeeper called, armed with box with honey in. No play for an hour. Classic cricket pic.twitter.com/ZNGFJQqvBI
— Jack Wilson (@JackWilson_5) February 4, 2017