Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 8:21 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, December 24, 2025, 8:30 p.m.
Igiranese Aime Gueric, the midfielder of Les Guepiers du Lac, a club from Burundi, died during a match against LLB Amasipiri Never Give Up, score 0-3. According to the witnesses present at the scene, the death was allegedly caused by a coin that the player swallowed right on the field.
The game, played on Saturday, December 20, at the National Technical Center in Ngaraga, was marked by the sudden death of Igiraneza Aimé Gueric, who unexpectedly collapsed during the game.
Despite the quick intervention of the medical team, the player died on the way to the hospital. The Football Federation of Burundi immediately issued a statement expressing its condolences to the athlete's family and his club, Les Guepiers du Lac, but did not elaborate on the cause of death.
However, several accounts from people present at the stadium indicate that the death was caused by a coin that the midfielder was holding in his mouth and which he accidentally swallowed.
Why did the player have a coin in his mouth?
According to abola.pt, the coin would have been a grigri, an amulet associated with witchcraft rituals. Although the player had in previous interviews denied resorting to such practices, the use of marabouts and superstitious objects remains a persistent custom in Burundian football.
This phenomenon, which represents a significant financial burden for clubs and players with limited resources, appears to have been at the origin of the death of Igiraneza Aime Gueric. The case generates a strong alert in public opinion and in the football community of the country, which demands a complete clarification of what happened.
So far, the federation has not provided further details about the investigation.
