Indonesian Keeper Dies After Penalty Area Collision

Choirul Huda, the keeper for Indonesian soccer team Persela FC, collided brutally with teammate Ramon Rodrigues while rushing forward on a ball in the 18-yard box. The collision left both players hurt, but Huda took the collision to his upper body—Rodrigues’s knee seems to drive Huda’s arm violently into the side of his head, and Huda is driven hard into the pitch. Huda’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was carried from the field and taken to the hospital, where he died early this morning.

Video of the incident is below. The impact doesn’t at first look so much more severe than other plays of this type, but with the knowledge that the injury to Huda was a fatal one, it’s extremely tough to watch:

According to the Daily Mirror, the match was finished, and then Persela’s players accompanied their coaches to the hospital, where they learned the terrible news.

“All of the players finished the game and went to the hospital, where it was announced that Choirul Huda had died,” [Persela coach Aji Santoso] said.

“The loss of Choirul Huda has hit us all hard.

“We did not have time to a see a doctor, only to see his body.”