Many swarm to Azteca

The primed athletes’ stand, hearts exploding with pride as they sing their national anthems. Mentally, they build themselves up a competitive fury, ready for battle, a fight to the death. It seems nothing can stand in their way, that is until mother nature intervenes.

This was the scene before the Mexico vs. El Salvador World Cup Qualifier on Saturday in the Azteca Stadium. The game started normally but as the play reached the Salvadorian goal mouth it was clear the goalkeeper and defenders were in distress.

At first many thought it was the laser pen that some idiot had brought to the game and was shining in the eyes of the visiting team but on closer inspection it was far more.

A swarm of bee’s had descended on the goalmouth and had decided to hang around despite the protestations of the capacity crowd.

At first no-one knew how to handle the visiting bee’s, choosing the usual ploy of racing in circles and swatting the air in blind panic. Various suited officials marched up the to bee’s, as if to scare the insects away but fled like big Jessie’s when then bee’s responded.

Finally, one smart guy got a fire extinguisher and blasted the visitors from there new home. A new swarm congregated on a TV companies microphone but the extinguisher had no effect. So in a act of inspired madness a bucket of water was poured on the insects and the electrical equipment.

It worked.

The swarm disappeared and the game continued with Mexico running out 4-1 winners and ensuring their World Cup qualification, the bee’s must have flew on to the nearest hive.

In aftermath there were rumblings of foul play, that the El Salvadorians had smeared the goalposts with sugar or honey in hope of abandonment but surely only the most ardent conspiracy theorist would suspect this.

In this game it was El Salvador who felt the sting..