Authorities have confirmed that two players of Colombian soccer team Atletico Huila, Hernan Cordoba and Mario Beltran, died in a car crash just hours after winning a league match.
The accident took place late on Saturday between the towns of Neiva and Rivera, in the north of Huila, and had three fatalities as result. Cordoba was linked to the accident as the car involved belonged to the player. As it turned out, he and Beltran were planning to celebrate a league win in Rivera. Authorities explained that for an unknown reason, the car crashed with a party-bus also known as ‘chiva’.
Cordoba, 19, is one of the top scorers in the current Copa Mustang II, having scored seven goals since the start of the season. The Palmira-born forward also represented Deportivo Cali and Cordoba FC, before joining Huila at the start of 2009.
The player’s brother, former soccer player Giovanni, died in 2002 after being hit by lightning.
Cordoba featured in Saturday’s league match against Deportivo Pereira only hours before the accident, and scored a 79th-minute goal that eventually helped his team to a 2-1 victory.
Beltran, who turned 23 late last month, was born in the town of Garzon and played as a winger.