Women's Soccer Player Drops Opponent With Violent Punch During Game

A friendly soccer match between DR Congo and Morocco this week looked more like a UFC fight -- at least for a brief moment -- 'cause one of the participants on the field socked another with a violent left hook!

It all went down in the second half of the contest when the Moroccans were up 2-1 ... and tensions boiled over following a foul by DR Congo forward Ruth Kipoyi.

You can see in video from the game's broadcast, Morrocan players raced over to Kipoyi to get in her face over the aggressive foul ... but things became heated.

At one point in the scuffle, Yasmin Mrabet rushed in to calm things down -- although unfortunately for her, it only escalated the matter further.

Check out the video, Kipoyi grew so upset with Mrabet, she uncorked a left hook that connected flush with the footballer's jaw. The punch had so much force behind it, that it actually sent Mrabet crashing to the ground.

The Moroccan, thankfully, got back up and received aid from medics. Kipoyi, meanwhile, was sent off the field after the incident.

Soccer fans have expressed serious frustrations in the wake of it all ... and are now demanding the 26-year-old face punishment.

For Mrabet's part, she just hopes the safety of the game will change after the ugly scene.

"This incident should not overshadow the exponential growth of our football in the last couple of years," Mrabet said in a statement. "African teams are showing up on the world stage, and for a reason."