At the moment when they were set to take the field as foes, two football teams a continent apart raised their voices in unison on Wednesday, paying tribute to the 71 lives lost in a plane crash that cancelled the final of the Copa Sudamericana.

Colombia’s Atletico Nacional, who were ready to host the first leg of the final on Wednesday night, instead held a ceremony in honour of their fallen rivals Chapecoense, whose planed crashed into a hillside outside of Medellin.

Rowdy fans scaled walls into the stadium after the 46,000-person arena filled up an hour before the ceremony began. Others brought flowers and teared up during a minute of silence at the scheduled kick-off time.

“We expected an excellent match. They aren’t as big as Nacional but they were coming to give it their all, so tonight we’re Chapecoense fans,” said Lidia Alzate, 41, who came dressed in white along with her two children.

Nearly 3,000 miles (4,800km) away, Chapecoense fans also filled their stadium in a remote corner of southern Brazil, holding a second night of vigil for their team whose stunning rise from the fourth division in Brazil to the continent’s top tier had captured the country’s imagination.

There’s so much emotion in this stadium. It feels like a game night

With illuminated cell phones aloft, they packed the stadium to its capacity of 20,000 – a tenth of the city’s population – and cheered as their youth players and reserves from the first team did laps around the field.

“There’s so much emotion in this stadium. It feels like a game night,” said Francis Fabio, 25, with tears in his eyes.

A brief video of Colombian fans singing an homage to Chapecoense appeared on the big screen, electrifying the Brazilian stadium as the crowd sang along.

“Let them listen around the continent. We will always remember the champions Chapecoense,” they sang in unison.

Atletico Nacional has offered the title to Chapecoense, although directors of the Brazilian club said they liked the idea of sharing the honour.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Brazilians killed in the plane crash have all been identified and are being prepared for transport by military aircraft back to Brazil, Chapecoense Communications Director Andrei Copetti told reporters.

Copetti said the coffins will arrive in Chapeco by midday today at the earliest and will be taken directly to the club’s stadium where a collective wake will be held, with Brazilian President Michel Temer expected to attend.

A spokesman for Temer said his schedule had not been decided yet.

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