BEES BULLY SHAMBOLIC SPURS | 3-0 | IMMEDIATE POST-MATCH ANALYSIS PODCAST

 

UN-BEE-LIEVABLE FOOTBALL MATCH SUSPENDED AS SWARM OF BEES WRECK HAVOC WITH TERRIFIED PLAYERS FORCED TO LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND

Ex-Barcelona star and tennis superstar both stung while playing matches in recent years

 

Footballers took emergency cover during a bee invasion. Credit: X/ESPNFC

A FOOTBALL match was dramatically suspended due to a swarm of BEES.

Players, referees, ballkids and even a cameraman all took emergency cover by lying on the ground in chaotic scenes.

City FC Abuja took on JKU FC in Babati, Tanzania in a pre-season tournament.

Both teams dropped on to the floor to avoid the stingers. Credit: X/ESPNFC

 

Even the cameraman was not taking any chances. Credit: X/ESPNFC
 

But with the two sides locked at 1-1 in the 78th minute at the Kwaraa Stadium, play was halted for a bizarre reason.

Incredibly, a load of bees suddenly turned up and flew around the pitch.

So the two sets of players took evasive action - by dropping to their bellies and lying down to take cover.

An assistant referee and someone operating the broadcast TV camera did the same.

Even the substitutes hid under the bench of the dugouts - although they seemingly did see the funny side.

The substitutes hid under the bench. Credit: X/ESPNFC
 

The assistant referee also took shelterCredit: X/ESPNFC
 

This ballboy joined in by lying on the groundCredit: X/ESPNFC

The spectators in the crowd, though, remained unmoved in their seats.

 It is unclear if that was out of ignorance of the situation unfolding or sheer bravery.

It is also what triggered the surprise arrival of the insects.

Some suggested freak weather in the week leading up to the match.

Others thought the vibrations from the match itself may have contributed.

Either way, the bees led to baffling footage.

Thankfully, reports state no one was stung during the invasion.

Instead, City FC Abuja had their own sting in the tail by grabbing a late winner.

A Carlos Alcaraz tennis match was halted last year when bees attacked the spider-camCredit: EPA
 

Fans took to social media with their stunned reaction to the unlikely interruption.

One said: "This is just unnecessarily funny."

Another wrote: "Nature doesn't care about your football schedule. Smart move to lie down though, hope no one got hurt."

And a third simply added: "Just wow."

Ex-Barcelona and Brazil star Dani Alves got caught out by a wasp while playing for Sao Paulo in 2019.

And in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz's showdown with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells last year was suspended when the Spaniard was stung during a bee invasion.

- Joshua Jones

THAT STINGS! SWARM OF BEES 🐝 DELAYS ALCARAZ MATCH

AFP

 INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- A swarm of bees forced a nearly two-hour disruption to the quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

Alcaraz swatted at the bees buzzing around him before running for cover and the match was suspended 19 minutes in with Alcaraz serving tied at 1-1.

Dozens of bees attached themselves to the overhead spider camera that traverses the court and a man without any protective covering used a vacuum to clean them off.

An American hero 🐝 #IndianWells | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/91owMnJoNi

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 14, 2024

The players left the court during the delay. When they returned, the chair umpire told them there were still some bees around and Zverev joked that he was fine to play on his side of the court.

The bee vacuumer was summoned back to the court with a spray bottle and was cheered wildly by the crowd. He posed for selfies with fans, causing Alcaraz and Zverev to laugh as they watched him wander the seats spraying for bees. The man also doused the walls around the court.

A bee also landed on a player's towel. Alcaraz expressed ongoing concern that the bees would swarm again on his side, but an ATP Tour supervisor encouraged him to give it a try during the warmup.

The match resumed after a delay of one hour, 48 minutes, and Alcaraz went on to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Zverev to reach the Indian Wells semifinals.

Tournament owner and billionaire Larry Ellison and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates were watching the match from Ellison's box.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

ALEXANDER ZVEREV VS. CARLOS ALCARAZ (VS. 🐝 BEES) | INDIAN WELLS HIGHLIGHTS

SWARM OF BEES SUSPEND CARLOS ALCARAZ'S GAME AT INDIAN WELLS