Austria's World Cup qualifying fixture against Cyprus was suspended after a sinkhole opened up on the pitch, according to 90min. Play was halted while officials assessed the damage before the match was eventually allowed to continue.
The interruption was an unusual one, even by the standards of lower-profile international football. A section of the playing surface collapsed during the fixture, raising immediate concerns over player safety and forcing the referee to take the players off the field. 90min reports that the match did resume after the delay.
Austria went on to win 1-0, with Marcel Sabitzer converting a penalty to settle the tie. It was a result that will matter considerably more in the qualifying table than the circumstances surrounding it, though the images of a pitch subsiding beneath the players' feet were difficult to ignore.
The incident serves as a reminder of the infrastructure challenges that can accompany qualifying football, where venues vary widely in standard and matches are staged across a broad range of facilities. World Cup qualifying in UEFA's zone takes in dozens of nations, and the condition of pitches is not always subject to the same scrutiny as those used in club competition at the highest level.
For Austria, the points are what count. Sabitzer's penalty ultimately proved enough, and the side will move on to their next qualifier with three points secured under the most peculiar of conditions.