Medical staff were unable to save Sofwan Awae after he sustained severe injuries from the lightning strike. Photo: Threads/Nasseb Ali

The incident took place on Tuesday (Aug 4) at around 5.30 pm, during a Golok Cup match at Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok, Thailand, reported the New Straits Times (NST).

The Golok Cup is a regional football tournament featuring local and mixed teams from Thailand and Malaysia, and the teams facing off against each other at the time were SAMCOLT and Abu x Nong Sirin.

Heavy rain had started during the match, but play continued.

Footage of the incident shows a bright flash of lightning striking the football pitch.

Sofwan Awae, a 24-year-old winger for SAMCOLT, was identified as the player who was struck.

His teammates were seen rushing to his side, flipping him onto his back and attempting to revive him in the middle of the field.

"Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident," Sungai Golok police chief Thun Sirikhunt told Bernama.

Sofwan had recently signed with a Thai football club, Yala FC, which confirmed his death and sent condolences to his family on Wednesday afternoon.

"The board of directors, staff, coaches, players, and all members of Yala FC Club would like to express their condolences to the family of Sofwan Awae," wrote Yala FC.

According to Thun, 12 others were also injured during the incident and taken to Sungai Golok Hospital for treatment.

22-year-old Malaysian footballer, Mohamad Alif Ezzahan Bin Zulkifit, was one of the 12 injured, and returned to Malaysia for treatment.

Thai police will also continue investigations and take further action according to legal procedures, said Thun.