A youth state championship final in Brazil was dramatically halted after just 11 minutes when a huge swarm of bees swept across the pitch, forcing players and officials to take cover at Estadio Joia da Princesa.
The first leg of the Campeonato Baiano Under-20 final between Bahia and Fluminense de Feira in Feira de Santana descended into chaos as the insects suddenly descended on the playing surface and headed towards the players.
Match officials immediately stopped play when the swarm moved onto the field, with players from both sides dropping to the turf and covering their faces in an attempt to avoid being stung.
Images and footage from the game showed vast numbers of bees clustering around one of the television cameras positioned pitchside for the live broadcast, which is thought to have attracted the swarm into the stadium.
Ground staff react to clear pitch
Stadium workers moved quickly in response, activating the irrigation system and spraying water across different areas of the pitch in a bid to disperse the insects.
Their efforts proved effective, and after an interruption of around 10 minutes, the bees began to move away, allowing the referee to restart the match. Players and staff, however, resumed the game with clear caution and regularly glanced towards the affected areas of the stadium.
The unusual incident was described locally as a rare “airborne invasion”, with the match temporarily transformed into a scene of panic as players lay flat on the grass waiting for the danger to pass.
Heavy defeat for Bahia after restart
When play did resume, the momentum swung decisively against Bahia, who went on to suffer a heavy 8-0 defeat in the first leg.
The emphatic scoreline leaves Fluminense de Feira on the brink of winning the Campeonato Baiano Under-20 title, with the second leg still to come.
Given the size of the victory, the return fixture now appears little more than a formality for Fluminense de Feira, who hold an overwhelming advantage in the tie.
Background to the fixture
The match, staged in Feira de Santana in the north-eastern state of Bahia, was the opening leg of the state under-20 final, one of the key youth competitions in the region.
While bee interruptions at football matches have occurred before in Brazil and elsewhere, the scale of the swarm and the need for players to lie prone on the pitch made this incident particularly striking.
No injuries or stings were reported in the immediate aftermath of the stoppage, and the game was able to be completed once the bees had been dispersed by the stadium staff’s use of the sprinkler and water-spraying system.
