At least three footballers and three spectators were killed when a land mine exploded inside a stadium in the coastal town of Barawa South West State Somalia, local administration confirmed on Thursday.
Fifteen people are reported to have been wounded.
A match between two district level teams was ongoing at the Tabuuk Stadium.
Somali militant group AlShabaab has claimed responsibility and says it had killed four foreign troops and government soldiers in the explosion.
Alshabaab through its affiliate website said it had issued a warning to the locals not to play football with the Uganda Amisom troops based in the town.
Barawa is some 205km South of the Somalia capital Mogadishu
The surrounding regions outside the town is mainly controlled by Alshabaab.
Al-qaeda linked Alshabaab was ousted from Barawa in October 2014 by Somalia National Army and Amisom troops.