Astrange incident appeared to have taken place recently, when multiple reports emerged that Nigerian footballer Chinedu Ozor had “woken up” despite being pronounced dead after collapsing during a match.
Ozor, who played for Nigerian top division side Katsina United, was declared dead at the age of 27 after collapsing during a pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes. However, multiple reports later claimed that Ozor had moved his hand while at the mortuary, leading to hope that a miracle had taken place. But in a tragic end to the story, Ozor’s club Katsina United announced that there was no truth to the reports, and that Ozor is indeed dead.
According to leading British news outlet ‘The Sun’, Ozor had been declared dead by doctors after collapsing on the field. However, he had seemingly moved his hands at the mortuary, causing him to be rushed to the intensive care unit, where doctors tried to rescue him frantically.
As per Spanish news outlet ‘Mundo Deportivo’, Ozor’s former club Heartland had confirmed the development of his recovery via a statement.
“Reliable sources confirm that Chinedu Ozor has been moved from the morgue to the hospital after reportedly showing signs of movement. He is currently receiving oxygen while doctors work to revive him,” the statement reportedly read.
However, multiple Nigerian news outlets later reported that the miraculous recovery had not occurred, and even Katsina United announced that Ozor is dead.
“Chinedu Ozor passed away following the incident. Claims suggesting that he later regained consciousness or ‘came back to life’ are inaccurate and should be dismissed,” the club said, as per Nigeria-based news outlet ‘Daily Trust’.
Ozor made 190 appearances in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), the top tier of football in the country. Primarily a right-back, he also often played as a centre-back. However, Ozor never represented the Nigerian national team.