Adel Kolahkaj should warn soccer players everywhere to be very careful when picking up things fans throw on the field … they might just explode.
Kolahkaj nearly learned this the hard way, when he leaned down, grabbed an object and tossed it from the field — only for it to explode seconds later.
The flashpoint came during Wednesday’s Asian Champions League quarterfinal game between Iran’s Sepahan F.C. and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli. The game was played in Isfahan, Iran, at Foolad Shahr Stadium.
Al Ahli was awarded a corner kick at some point in the game, and protesting fans began throwning things at one of the referee’s assitants. The referee halted play, and a few players tried to help remove debris from the field.
Kolahkaj, a Sepahan midfielder, grabbed what certainly didn’t look like a live munition and tossed it to the side. The explosion that followed sent players and officials scurrying away. Judging by the size of the explosion, it’s clear that Kolahkaj would have been maimed (or maybe worse) had he held onto the object any longer.
The game resumed shortly afterward and ended in a scoreless draw. The two teams will play the second leg of the quartefinal on Oct. 2 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Let’s hope security on the Arabian penninsula is a little more thorough than it was in Iran.
Watch the explosion in the the video below.
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Photo via Facebook/Sepahan F.C.
