A player for the Yala Football Club was killed by lightning during the "Golok FA Cup 2026" soccer match at the Santiphap (peace) Stadium in Su-ngai Kolok district of the southern province of Narathiwat yesterday. Several other players were also injured.
The deceased was identified by police as 24-year-old Safwan Awae. He played for Pattani FC before joining Yala FC recently.
The incident took place during extra time in the semi-final match. A thunderstorm, heavy rain and strong winds were reported during the match and streak of lighting suddenly struck the pitch, injuring several players, including Awae.
All the injured were quickly rushed to the district hospital, where Awae was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Yala FC management later issued a statement expressing condolences to the family for the loss of Awae.
The Golok FA Cup 2026 is a soccer tournament for local football clubs in the southern provinces as well as some local teams from Malaysia.
