Nigerian Bordeaux striker Samuel Kalu collapsed on the pitch during a French Ligue 1 game at Marseille on Sunday, 15 August 2021. It is said that temperatures had hit a sweltering 30 degrees. The 23-year-old Nigerian international fainted and slumped on the Stade Velodrome turf in the 6th minute of the match. Teammates and other players immediately called for medics as they formed a wall around him. This Samuel Kalu on-field collapse comes barely two months after the Christian Eriksen incident at the recently concluded EURO 2020 tournament.
Much as we enjoy sports and especially the beautiful game of football, every once in a while, there are dreadful moments that leave the hearts of audiences in their mouths. Being a contact and physically exerting sport, the game experiences some uncomfortable occurrences ranging from freak injuries to collapsing on the field of play and sometimes, death. Over the years, there have been several cases of players collapsing while playing, and some cases are scarier than others.
We have compiled a list of such incidents where players have slumped during a football match. Keep reading to see if you’re familiar with any of the stories.
Marc-Vivien Foe (2003)
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder for both club and country. In 2003, the death of former Lens player Marc-Vivien Foe, who also played for English Premier League clubs West Ham United and Manchester City, shocked the footballing world.
Cameroon faced Colombia in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup on 26 June 2003, in Lyon, France. Foe collapsed in the centre circle in the 72nd minute of the game. He was stretchered off the field after attempts were made to resuscitate him on the pitch, and he got mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics unsuccessfully attempted to restart his heart for 45 minutes. The midfielder was still alive when he arrived at the stadium’s medical centre, but he died shortly after.
Cristiano Junior (2004)
Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnior was a Brazilian footballer who played as a forward for Dempo before an on-field collision in the Federation Cup finals, with the goalkeeper of his opposing team led to his death. In the 78th minute of the Federation Cup finals, Dempo forward Junior collided with Mohun Bagan goalie Subrata Pal. While scoring his second goal after chasing the ball into the box, he collided with the goalkeeper, staggered away, and then collapsed.
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Junior was taken off the field, while the game continued. He was dead on arrival at a hospital. Dempo’s 2-0 victory was inconsequential as the players were deep in grief. According to the autopsy performed in the hospital, the footballer died because of a heart stroke. Dempo later announced the retirement of Junior’s No.10 shirt.
Miklos Feher (2004)
Miklós “Miki” Fehér was a Hungarian professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent most of his nine-year career in Portugal, representing four clubs. 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 the hospital. Doctors tried to revive him for nearly 90 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
Antonio Puerta (2007)
Antonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish professional footballer who played for Sevilla. During his club’s first La Liga match of the 2007-08 season against Getafe CF on 25 August 2007, Puerta collapsed and lost consciousness in the penalty area due to a cardiac arrest. After barely 35 minutes of play, he was observed crouching and then collapsing as he returned to his team’s goal. The medical staff of the club and the players quickly surrounded him.
Puerta was able to walk to the dressing room after recovering and being replaced, but he collapsed again. He was resuscitated by doctors and transferred to a hospital by ambulance, where he died three days later. His girlfriend was pregnant with their first child of the occurrence.
Piermario Morosini (2012)
Piermario Morosini was an Italian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. On 14 April 2012, Morosini collapsed during a Serie B game while playing for Livorno against Pescara. He was 25 years old, with a promising career in front of him and was on loan from Serie A side Udinese at the time. He collapsed on the pitch, after attempting to pick himself up a number of times, during the 31st minute of the match. The medical officials quickly attended to the player. Morosini was taken to a hospital where doctors were unsuccessful in reviving him.
Doctors later confirmed that Morosini had no heartbeat when he was brought in. An autopsy revealed the cause of the collapse was a cardiac arrest. It was a depressing time in Italy football and across Europe.
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Fabrice Muamba (2012)
In the same year as the unfortunate Morosini incident, there was that of Fabrice Muamba over in the English top flight. In March 2012, the Bolton Wanderers player collapsed during an FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The 23-year-old fell on the ground minutes before half-time.
The match was abandoned, and Muamba was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Reports later confirmed that his heart stopped beating for 78 minutes before functioning again. The player regained consciousness after a couple of days, thanks to the relentless medical assistance he received.
Cheick Tiote (2017)
Cheick Ismaël Tioté was an Ivorian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Just like Morosini, Tiote wasn’t so lucky and didn’t make it out alive. In June 2017, Tiote collapsed during a training session with his new club Beijing Enterprises. He had only recently moved there from English club Newcastle United and was some days short of his 31st birthday. The midfielder sadly passed away after being taken to a hospital for treatment.
Abdelhak Nouri (2017)
Abdelhak Nouri is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. A youth product of Eredivisie club Ajax, he played two years of senior football with its reserve team and the first team. On 8 July 2017, Nouri collapsed during a friendly game for Ajax against Werder Bremen. The young midfielder was one of the brightest upcoming talents from the Dutch outfit before suffering a cardiac arrest on the field. He was immediately attended to, and airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Nouri suffered a permanent brain damage and remained in a coma for two years and nine months after the incident. In March 2020, the player came to his senses and can now sit in a wheelchair, but still needs human assistance. He is now back home with his family, and the journey to recovery begins.
Christian Eriksen (2021)
Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Denmark national team. He collapsed during a UEFA Euro 2020 game against Finland in the 43rd minute. The medical team quickly rushed to the player and gave him CPR while his teammates formed a circle around him. Reports suggested that Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest. The doctors were able to assist Eriksen in regaining consciousness before an ambulance took him to a nearby hospital.
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Samuel Kalu (2021)
Samuel Kalu is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as winger for Ligue 1 club Bordeaux and the Nigeria national team. On 15 August 2021, Kalu fell to the pitch in the sixth minute of Bordeaux’s encounter with Marseille in Ligue 1. He was standing in a defensive wall for a Dmitri Payet free-kick when he collapsed.
After some treatment on the pitch, however, Kalu was able to walk off on his own. Though he briefly returned to action, he was soon replaced by Remi Oudin in the 14th minute. This is not the first time the Super Eagles forward will collapse on the pitch as he had a similar experience while with Nigeria for the 2019 Nations Cup.
The player is recovering now from what the doctors have called a “dizzy spell”. The prayers of his compatriots and colleagues are with him.
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