Katsina United have clarified the circumstances surrounding the death of their player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a pre-season match in Katsina on Tuesday.
Ozor reportedly fell ill during Katsina United’s fixture against Niger Tornadoes at the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup and was taken to a nearby hospital, where a doctor pronounced him dead.
The club subsequently announced his death through its official communication channels. However, reports later emerged that Ozor had been moved from the morgue to an intensive care unit after medical personnel noticed movements in parts of his body.
Katsina United media officer, Nasir Gide, confirmed that the player was subsequently taken back to the ICU at Katsina General Hospital.
“When we rushed him to a nearby hospital, he was confirmed dead by a doctor. We collected a police report and took him back to Katsina General Hospital, where he was also said to be dead. They took his body to the morgue there,” Gide said on Tuesday.
“Later, the medical personnel informed us that he had been taken back to the ICU from the morgue when they noticed movements in his body.”
The club, however, issued a further statement on Wednesday to clarify the circumstances, stressing that reports claiming Ozor had regained consciousness were inaccurate.
“With broken hearts, we wish to clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragic passing of our player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a friendly match against Niger Tornadoes at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina. Despite the efforts that followed, Chinedu sadly passed away,” the club said.
It added that reports suggesting the player had “come back to life” were not true, explaining that his family had requested further medical confirmation before his body was taken to the morgue.
The club said the family, overwhelmed by the shock of the incident, had continued to hope that Ozor could still be saved.
“We know how difficult this is to accept. We know many people are still trying to process what happened. His teammates are grieving. His friends are grieving. The club is grieving. And somewhere, a family is facing a pain that words cannot begin to describe,” Katsina United said.
Ozor’s former club, Heartland FC of Owerri, also paid tribute to the player following his death.
“Chinedu Ozor: You fought the good fight. You tried your best and strove to make the most of what we thought was a second chance you were given, but sadly, you could not make it,” Heartland said in a condolence message.
Meanwhile, Barau FC, one of the clubs participating in the pre-season tournament, has reiterated its decision to withdraw from the competition, citing what it described as poor organisation and the decision to continue the tournament following Ozor’s collapse.
The incident has renewed concerns over the adequacy of medical arrangements at football venues in Nigeria.
Ozor’s death comes exactly a year after Shooting Stars assistant coach Akin Olowokere collapsed and died during a training session on 11 August 2025. The former Sunshine Stars player and coach was taken to hospital after collapsing on the pitch but was pronounced dead.
Another prominent case occurred in March 2020 when Nasarawa United defender Chineme Martins, 23, died after collapsing during a league match against Katsina United.
Following Martins’ death, the Nigeria Football Federation directed that league matches should not be played at venues without the required medical equipment and personnel. Match commissioners and host football associations were also instructed to inspect and test medical facilities before approving venues for matches.
Ozor’s death has once again put the spotlight on the importance of effective medical preparedness, emergency response and monitoring at football grounds and training facilities across the country.
