Soccer player Samuel Asamoah breaks neck after colliding with advertising board during match
Samuel Asamoah playing here for Belgian side Sint Truiden VV on September 26
By Ben Church, Fred He, CNN
(CNN) — Togo midfielder Samuel Asamoah broke his neck at the weekend after colliding with an advertising board during a game for Chinese League 1 side Guangxi Pingguo.
The incident occurred after Asamoah was pushed off the pitch during a coming together with an opponent near the touchline on Sunday. He subsequently collided head-first into the boards which surrounded the pitch, before being taken to hospital.
On Monday, Guangxi Pingguo said in a statement that Asamoah “suffered dislocation and fractures of the cervical vertebrae” as well as nerve compression. The club also said that the player was at risk of “high-level paraplegia,” which refers to the inability to use lower parts of the body.
It added the midfielder would be out for the rest of the season and that his future as a professional soccer player was in doubt.
Later on Wednesday, the club released an update saying Asamoah’s surgery was successful and that the 31-year-old was now recovering in a stable condition.
The club also released a photo of Asamoah in hospital with his two thumbs up.
Chongqing Tonglianglong midfielder Zhang Zhixiong was given a yellow card for pushing Asamoah off the pitch.
The referee’s report said that Zhang’s foul was of “a reckless nature” but did not reach the level of a serious foul or violent conduct.
The report also stated the advertising boards around the pitch complied with international standards.
Chongqing Tonglianglong released a statement apologizing to Asamoah on behalf of both the club and Zhang.
It also added that Zhang and club representatives had visited the Togo international in hospital.
This latest incident comes after English soccer player Billy Vigar died aged 21 after sustaining “significant brain injury” in similar circumstances last month.
The former Arsenal prospect sustained the fatal injury when he reportedly collided with a wall near the pitch.
The-CNN-Wire
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