Togolese footballer Samuel Asamoah suffered a serious neck injury after colliding with an advertising board during a match in China, his club said. There are concerns he could be left paralysed.
The 31-year-old was pushed by an opponent while contesting for the ball on Sunday in China’s League One. He fell head-first into an LED advertising panel at the side of the pitch.
Guangxi Pingguo, Asamoah’s club, said he broke his neck and damaged nerves. He underwent surgery following the accident. The club warned that he faces a risk of severe paralysis, will miss the rest of the season, and his career could be seriously affected.
On Wednesday, the club said Asamoah was stable and recovering from surgery. They thanked fans and the public for their support and said updates on his recovery would follow after further examinations.
Asamoah played most of his career in Belgium before joining China last year. He has made six appearances for Togo, according to transfermarkt.com.
State-backed outlet The Paper reported that the advertising board was placed three metres from the field, following international standards. The opposing player, Zhang Zhixiong of Chongqing Tonglianglong, received a yellow card for the incident.
