The player of the second division club of the Burundi Championship "Gepie du Lac", Igiiraneza Aime Gerik, tragically died during a match, reports Sport News Africa.
The incident occurred on Saturday, December 20, during a match in the Burundi League "B" in Ngara. Gerik suddenly lost consciousness on the field. Despite the intervention of medical teams, the player died during transport to the hospital.
According to information from the source, the cause of death was a coin that the midfielder was holding in his mouth and accidentally swallowed. It is presumed that this coin was a "gri-gri" — a voodoo talisman that the footballer was trying to use to attract luck.
The Burundi Football Federation issued a statement expressing condolences to the player's family and his club, without specifying the cause of death.
