International Football
Like Okwaraji; A list of Players who have collapsed on the pitch
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Like Nigeria’s midfielder, Samuel Okwaraji who collapsed and died on the pitch on a 12 day date in August 1989, another tragedy was averted on another 12 day date in June 2021 in the Euro 2020 football championship when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed in a match with Finland.
Uefa said Eriksen, who was given CPR by medics on the pitch, was transferred to hospital where the 29-year-old was stabilised, with officials saying he was conscious.
Following is a list of players who have collapsed on the pitch during a match.
Samuel Okwaraji – Nigeria
The Nigerian midfielder collapsed and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute of a World Cup qualification match against Angola at the Lagos National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State on 12 August 1989.
David Omofeye aka ‘Idi’ – Nigeria
Daily Times account of death and burial of David Omofeye in 1954.
The Nigerian striker who just missed the cut in the selection of the first national team in 1949 and player of the ‘Old Reliables’ Railway football club of Lagos, slumped and died at the present day Mobolaji Arena, Onikan Lagos during a 6 May 1954 first division match of Railway and Marine. He is the first recorded death on a Nigerian pitch.
Amir Angwe – Nigeria
Efforts to revive Angwe on the field failed.
Playing for Julius Berger against Maxaquine of Mozambique in the African Winners Cup, The Benue State born footballer slumped and died on the turf of Onikan Stadium on 29 October 1995.
Tunde Charity Ikhidero – Nigeria
The member of the 1989 set of Nigerian Flying Eagles died in the hospital following head injury sustained in a league match involving his club, Insurance and Niger Tornadoes in Benin on September 6, 1997.
Endurance Idahor – Nigeria
The former Julius Berger and Dolphin striker, playing for Al Merreikh of Sudan, collapsed and died in Omdurman while playing against Amal Atbara on 6 March 2010.
Fabrice Muamba -England
The Bolton Wanderers midfielder collapsed on the pitch in an FA Cup match in 2012 due to a cardiac arrest and was technically “dead” for 78 minutes before he was revived. The former England under-21 midfielder had to retire soon after at the age of 24.
Bafetimbi Gomis -France
The French striker has collapsed several times on the pitch due to a medical condition which causes him to faint. He has collapsed playing for Swansea City, Galatasaray and Al-Hilal.
Marc-Vivien Foe -Cameroon
The Cameroon midfielder collapsed during a Confederations Cup match in 2003. Medical staff attempted to resuscitate the 28-year-old on the pitch before taking him off on a stretcher.
However, they failed in their attempts to restart his heart and he was pronounced dead.
Antonio Puerta -Spain
The Sevilla midfielder collapsed while jogging back in the first game of the 2007-08 La Liga season against Getafe and, though he walked off the pitch after being helped by medical staff, he collapsed again in the dressing room.
Puerta, a Spain international, was rushed to hospital, where he died three days later of “multiple organ failure” due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 22.
Cheick Tiote – Cote d’Ivoire
Four months after leaving Newcastle United, the midfielder fainted during a training session with Chinese club Beijing Enterprises. The 30-year-old Ivorian died in hospital.
Miklos Feher -Hungary
The Hungary striker was playing for Portuguese side Benfica against Vitoria Guimaraes in January 2004 when he keeled over in pain before falling backwards onto the pitch after a heart attack.
Medics attempted to resuscitate the unconscious 24-year-old before he was taken off on a stretcher and rushed to hospital. Doctors tried to revive him for nearly 90 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
Nigeria Premier League attains a crescendo this weekend
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature4 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu