Taiwo Awoniyi’s near-tragedy highlights the risks faced by footballers… we remember five Nigerians who tragically lost their lives on the pitch

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Taiwo Awoniyi’s near-tragedy highlights the risks faced by footballers… we remember five Nigerians who tragically lost their lives on the pitch

When Taiwo Awoniyi collided with the post in the dying minutes of Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City, few watching realised just how grave the situation was. But within hours, the Super Eagles forward was in emergency surgery. By the following morning, he had been placed in an induced coma.

Doctors diagnosed ruptured intestines, a rare and life-threatening injury in football. While initial signs on the pitch suggested discomfort, the reality was far more terrifying. 

Sources close to the player confirmed that the situation was touch-and-go at one point. That Awoniyi is alive, let alone recovering, is a miracle.

Awoniyi’s induced coma: 5 times Nigerians have lost their lives on the pitch
Photo by IMAGO

His case has revived memories of other tragic instances where Nigerian footballers collapsed during games, moments when the sport’s joyous unpredictability turned into heartbreak. 

As fans hope and pray for Awoniyi’s recovery, here’s a chronological look at five Nigerian footballers who weren’t as fortunate.

Sam Okwaraji (1989)

It was a World Cup qualifier against Angola on August 12, 1989, in Lagos. The Super Eagles were leading 1-0 when midfielder Sam Okwaraji suddenly collapsed in the final minutes. 

Despite immediate medical attention, he died before reaching the hospital. An autopsy later confirmed he suffered a cardiac arrest. 

He was just 25. Okwaraji’s death stunned the nation and brought conversations about on-pitch medical preparedness to the fore.

Amir Angwe (1995)

During a semi-final match in the African Cup Winners’ Cup on October 29, 1995, Julius Berger’s Amir Angwe collapsed at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos. 

The striker, just 29, suffered a fatal heart attack during the clash with Mozambique’s Maxaquene. His death, like Okwaraji’s, led to renewed calls for better medical equipment and personnel at Nigerian football grounds.

Endurance Idahor (2010)

A rising star in Sudan with Al Merreikh, Idahor was 25 when tragedy struck on March 10, 2010. Playing against Al Amal in Omdurman, he suddenly collapsed without contact and was pronounced dead en route to the hospital.

It later emerged that the player had died from heart failure, a condition that might have been detectable with more rigorous health checks.

David Oniya (2015)

In a pre-season friendly for Malaysian side T-Team on June 13, 2015, Nigerian defender David Oniya collapsed three minutes into the game. 

He never regained consciousness. Club officials later revealed he had suffered a heart attack and had been without oxygen for several critical minutes. 

Oniya’s death sparked criticism of the delayed ambulance response and poor emergency protocols at the stadium.

Chineme Martins (2020)

The most recent case before Awoniyi’s scare occurred in the Nigeria Professional Football League. On March 8, 2020, Nasarawa United’s Chineme Martins slumped during a league fixture against Katsina United. 

Despite efforts to revive him on the pitch, he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. 

Eyewitness reports claimed that the medical team was unprepared and ill-equipped, another avoidable death linked to negligence.

Awoniyi’s case may yet have a happy ending. But as his countrymen have shown over the years, football for all its thrills carries an often overlooked cost. And sometimes, that cost is life itself.

<!-- Author Start -->Toyosi Afolayan<!-- Author End -->

Toyosi Afolayan

Sports Writer

Toyosi Afolayan is a sports journalist who breathes life into the games we love. He loves to combine insightful analysis with historical background, creating a richer understanding of sports.

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