Overview
- Igiraneza Aimé Gueric, 20, of Les Guêpiers du Lac collapsed during a second-division match against LLB Amasipiri Never Give on December 20 and died while being transported to a hospital.
- Match officials halted play as emergency protocols were activated and medical staff attempted to assist the player on the field.
- The Burundian Football Federation and the club issued condolences and said formal investigations will determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
- Local reports say the player had a coin described as a gri-gri amulet, possibly a 50 Rwandan franc piece, which he reportedly kept under his tongue as part of a ritual.
- The incident has renewed scrutiny of on-site medical readiness and safety standards at lower-division football matches in Burundi and across Africa.