Bena Tshadi football lightning strike
Lightning strike that killed an entire soccer team in DR Congo
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On October 28, 1998, a lightning strike occurred at a competitive association football match in a sparsely populated area of central Democratic Republic of the Congo. The strike killed all 11 players on the Bena Tshadi side and injured 30 others, while members of the opposition Basanga team were unharmed.
| Date | October 28, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bena Tshadi, Kasaï-Central, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Type | Natural disaster & mass casualty event |
| Cause | Lightning strike |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 30 |
| Accused | Basanga |
Background
Both clubs played in a semi-pro central African league. Basanga came from the former Katanga province, while Bena Tshadi played in a small, remote village by the same name in the Kasaï-Central province. The players were between the ages of 20 and 35.[1]
The weather in south-central Africa is known to be quite stormy during this time of year, and the peak rainfall season lays between mid-October and mid-November.[2] Days before this incident, three South African Premiership players were injured when a bolt of lightning struck the pitch during a match with twelve minutes left.[3] Another team in South Africa had six players suffer injuries caused by a strike over the weekend.[4]
Incident
The match started on time and was not affected by the storms that were in the area. With the score at a 1–1 draw, a bolt of lightning struck the pitch and killed all 11 members of Bena Tshadi playing at the time. Half of the players immediately collapsed, holding their ears and eyes in pain.[5] There were an additional 30 spectators and other Bena Tshadi players on the sidelines injured in the strike, suffering non-life-threatening burns.[1][5] No Basanga players were harmed.[1]
The match was immediately suspended.[1]
Aftermath and accusations of witchcraft
After the strike, all members of the Basanga team had been completely unscathed, while their opponents lay dead on the pitch.[6] This led to widespread conspiracies, particularly witchcraft, which is a major superstition in western and central Africa. Supposed witchcraft, curses, and black magic had been prevalent in African soccer for some time, and had been rumored to be able to change the outcome of matches or even entire seasons.[7] These accusations could have also been raised because of the political climate of the ongoing Second Congo War. Many local citizens and investigators immediately pointed to the Basanga team practicing witchcraft to eliminate their opponents, and this became the running theory in parts of the country.[8] Local reports support this theory, stating "The exact nature of the lightning has divided the population in this region which is known for its use of fetishes in football."[9]
However, these claims were dismissed in the western world.[8] Researchers claimed the deaths more likely stemmed from Bena Tshadi players wearing screw-in metal cleats, which conducted electricity, whereas Basanga wore molded cleats.[10]
As of 2026, there are no contemporary records of the Bena Tshadi team still being in existence, or if the team was ever rebuilt after the incident.