A Thai footballer, Sofwan Awae, died after being struck by lightning during a Golok Cup match on August 4 in Sungai Golok, southern Thailand. The incident occurred around 5:30 pm local time during a semi-final game between SAMCOLTS and Abu x Nong Sirin at Santiphap Stadium [1, 2, 3].
Sofwan Awae, 24, was a winger recently signed to Thai third-tier club Yala FC and was playing for the SAMCOLTS team, which comprises Thai and Malaysian players [1, 2, 3]. The lightning struck about 10 minutes into the second half, amid worsening weather with dark clouds, strong winds, and visible lightning in the area [4].
The strike fatally injured Sofwan and wounded 12 others. Among the injured was 22-year-old Malaysian footballer Mohamad Alif Ezzahan Zulkifli, who stood about two meters from Sofwan at the time [1, 2, 4, 3]. Police chief Colonel Thun Sirikhunt confirmed, "Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident" [1].
Mohamad Alif Ezzahan Zulkifli was taken first to Sungai Golok Hospital, then transferred to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Baru. He was discharged on August 6 after doctors confirmed there were no serious injuries [4, 3]. Alif described his experience as "Like I died and came back to life" [4].
The Golok Cup is a regional tournament featuring teams from southern Thailand and nearby Malaysian states, including Kelantan FC from Malaysia [1, 2, 3]. Police and medical teams promptly responded to the incident and a post-mortem examination was conducted on Sofwan the next day, following legal procedures [3].
The injured players received treatment at hospitals in both Thailand and Malaysia. The timing and circumstances of the lightning strike remain under review by local authorities [3].
