Neymar makes the day of young soccer fan who runs on field

A young soccer fan in South Africa got an unexpected thrill Wednesday when he got to meet Brazilian superstar Neymar and some of his teammates after they had polished off South Africa, 5-0, in an international friendly in Soweto.

The boy managed to make it on to the pitch after the match and was swept up by nervous security guards. But Neymar, who scored a hat trick in the win, noticed the commotion and quickly intervened, grabbing the boy and bringing him over to meet some of his teammates.

The boy, wearing a green South African jersey, posed for pictures and was eventually hoisted into the air by David Luiz, Neymar, Dani Alves and Fred, who carried him off the field as bemused security guards and some game officials looked on.

The boy, later identified as 7-year-old Ayo Dosumu, said “I felt very happy” after the experience while his father, Shola, tried to process his son’s newfound celebrity.

“My son is now an idol,” he said. “I didn’t even realize when he ran out. Then I had to go and get him. It was a great thrill.”

Stadium security also tried to stop Shola as he went after his son, but Luiz told them to let him go.