Another Nigerian Footballer Dies On The Field Of Play In Europe

TRAGEDY struck yesterday in far away Romania as a Nigerian footballer, Chinonso Ihelwere Henry, collapsed and died during a second-division league game after doctors were unable to resuscitate him.

Bogdan Oprita, head of the local ambulance service, told national news agency Agerpres that FC Tulcea player collapsed during a game against FC Balotesti yesterday.

The game was played in Baltoesti town, north of Bucharest. Oprita said doctors were unable to save him after his heart stopped beating and he stopped breathing.

Having played for about 10 minutes at a temperature of 40 degrees, he fell on the ground, as far as it seems, of a heart attack.

After efforts for more than 30 minutes failed to resuscitate him, doctors had to declare Henry dead. Colleagues and opponents watched in disbelief, and the player’s brother, who was at the match, fell on the ground in tears, horrified by what happened.

The case is a forensic one, several scenarios are considered: Heart attack, stroke, aneurism or improper medication.

“A quarter hour after the second half started, he fell on the field, nobody touched him”, Daniel Florea, the Delta Tulcea team captain, told Mediafax.

“The patient was in respiratory arrest all the time, we attempted resuscitation until 1.12 p.m.,” Dr. Ioana Tanase, SMURD team medic said.

According to witnesses, the Nigerian footballer fell during the second half of the game. A first medic’s team arrived seven minutes after.

The 21-year-old Henry had been playing for Tulcea since 2010 after he arrived in Romania in 2007.

In November 2011, Nigerian-born player, Bobsam Elejiko who spent most of his career playing in Belgium collapsed and died while playing a 5th-tier match for K. Merksem S.C. against F.C. Exc. Kaart

In April this year, former Italy Under-21 and Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during his team’s Series B match at Pescara.

The 25-year-old player collapsed in the 31st minute and received treatment on the pitch - reportedly including a heart massage in a bid to resuscitate him - before being rushed to hospital. The match was abandoned and the players left the field in tears.