Bordeaux's Samuel Kalu lays on the pitch as players call the medic during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Bordeaux at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Bordeaux winger Samuel Kalu collapsed on the pitch before making an astonishing recovery and even playing on for several minutes before he was substituted.
The 23-year-old Nigerian dropped to the ground just five minutes into their Ligue 1 clash with Marseille amid soaring temperatures at the Stade Velodrome.
There was instant concern for Kalu as players from both sides called for medical attention.
The players then formed a human shield around Kalu as he was being treated on the field in scenes similar to what was seen when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in Demark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland.
Thankfully, Kalu made a remarkable recovery and was able to get up to his feet.
He was walked off the pitch by his teammates while holding an ice pack against his head.
Even more astonishingly, Kalu then returned to carry on playing despite what had just happened.
Common sense seemed to prevail though as the matter was taken out of his hands when he was substituted for Remi Oudin.
The Nigerian was given a standing ovation by those in attendance for his brave attempts to play on following his collapse.
The cause of the incident is not yet known but it is not the first time he has collapsed on a football pitch.
Kalu collapsed during the Nigerian team’s training session during the African Cup of Nations back in 2019.
That particular incident was described at the time as a result of ‘severe dehydration’.
His collapse for Bordeaux brought back memories of Eriksen’s collapse during the Euros.
Eriksen’s life was saved when CPR was administered to him on the pitch and his heart was re-started with a defibrillator before he was taken to hospital, where he recovered after undergoing heart surgery.
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