Teen Fatally Beaten on Soccer Field After His Team Scored Goal

A 19-year-old Arizona soccer player has died after a game allegedly erupted into horrifying violence, with his family claiming rival players punched, kicked and stomped him after becoming furious over a goal.

Tumusifu Bazirake was rushed to a hospital in extremely critical condition after a fight broke out during a soccer match in Phoenix earlier this month, according to police.

He later died from his injuries.

Now, Bazirake’s devastated family says the teen was attacked while trying to protect his brother — and that the violence began after their team scored.

“We scored on them, and they got mad,” Bazirake’s brother, Jeanpaul, told local media.

According to Jeanpaul, players from the opposing team initially began attacking him before his brother jumped in to defend him.

But when Jeanpaul turned around, he said he saw Bazirake lying helplessly on the ground as several people allegedly continued attacking him.

“They were just stepping on him while he’s on the ground,” Jeanpaul recalled. “Stepping, kicking, punching — all that.”

Emergency crews responding to a report of an unresponsive person learned Bazirake had been playing soccer when a fight erupted, Phoenix police said.

Investigators believe several people assaulted the teen before fleeing the field.

Officers found Bazirake gravely injured and had him taken to a hospital, where he remained in extremely critical condition.

Police were later notified that he had died.

No suspects had been publicly identified as of Aug. 18, and authorities are now investigating the teen’s death as a homicide.

The tragedy came at an especially heartbreaking moment for Bazirake’s family.

He was reportedly just one week away from beginning college and dreamed of one day becoming a firefighter.

His loved ones have since launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses as they mourn the young man whose life was cut short following what should have been an ordinary soccer game.

Phoenix police are asking anyone with information about the deadly attack to contact investigators or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Spanish-speaking callers can use 480-TESTIGO.