August 16, (THEWILL) – Nigerian international Samuel Kalu gave teammates and football fans watching a real scare when he collapsed in the sixth minute of the Ligue 1 fixture between Girondins de Bordeaux and Olympique de Marseille at the Orange Velodrome on Sunday.
Although he recovered, Kalu did not finish the match after briefly returning. Out of an abundance of caution, he was substituted with Rémi Oudin in the 14th minute. The immediate cause of his collapse was not certain but the game was taking place amid searing temperatures in Marseille.
The Nigerian forward was on the turf when the referee, Ruddy Buquet called in the medics, who rushed in carrying a stretcher to attend to Kalu. Their administrations revived him and there was a collective relief as Kalu was able to get up and walk off the pitch with the help of his teammates.
After holding an ice pack against his head for a bit, the striker was allowed back into play and continued for some moments. But, not for long. Apparently still groggy from the impact of that initial collapse, he was finally replaced.
Those initial nervy moments when he was supine on the turf shocked the stadium into silence. It brought back the disturbing images of Christian Eriksen’s collapse at Euro 2020 in June when the Denmark midfielder suffered a heart attack and barely survived.
Fortunately for the Dane, quick medical attention revived him and his life was saved when CPR was administered to him on the pitch and his heart was re-started with a defibrillator. He was taken to hospital, where he recovered after undergoing heart surgery.
Hopefully, Kalu will not need such extreme attention before he can fully resume his place at the frontline of Bordeaux’s attack. The match ended 2-2 leaving Bordeaux in 16th place after they lost their opening fixture 2-0 at home to Clermont Foot on Sunday, August 8.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
