A Thai footballer was killed after lightning struck a football pitch in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat province, Thailand, on Tuesday evening, August 4. The incident occurred during a semi-final match of the Golok FA Cup tournament at Santiphap Stadium around 5:30pm local time.
The deceased has been identified as 24-year-old Sofwan Awae, a winger for the third-tier semi-professional club Yala FC. Awae, who previously played for Pattani FC and had signed with Yala FC only days before the incident, was playing for the Abu x Nong Sirin team during the match.
The match involved Abu x Nong Sirin and SAMCOLT, a mixed team of Thai and Malaysian players. Sungai Golok Police Chief Thun Sirikhunt stated that the incident occurred amidst heavy rain and strong winds.
Injuries and casualties
According to reports, 12 people were injured in the lightning strike, including 22-year-old Malaysian player Mohammad Alif Ezzahan Zulkifli, who was playing for SAMCOLT. While some reports indicate nine players were injured, others state the number of injured is 12. The injured players were sent to Sungai Golok Hospital for treatment.
The Football Association of Thailand and the management of Yala FC have both issued messages of condolences to the family of Sofwan Awae and the football club.
