Katsina United have clarified the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of their player Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a pre-season match against Niger Tornadoes in Katsina on Tuesday, NigeriaSoccernet.com reports.
Ozor reportedly collapsed during the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup encounter at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor.
The club subsequently announced his death through its official communication channels. However, reports later emerged that the player 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 Ozor was initially taken to Katsina General Hospital after being pronounced dead at another facility.
“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.
“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.”
However, Katsina United issued a further statement on Wednesday to dispel reports that Ozor had regained consciousness, explaining that his family had requested additional medical confirmation before his body was taken to the morgue.
“Despite the efforts that followed, Chinedu sadly passed away,” the club stated.
The club also urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that the player had returned to life.
“We have seen reports claiming that Chinedu later regained consciousness or ‘came back to life.’ We understand that people desperately wanted this to be true. We all did. But sadly, those reports are not true.”
Katsina United said Ozor’s family had been overwhelmed by shock and continued to hope that further medical checks could produce a different outcome.
Heartland FC, Ozor’s former club, 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.”
Meanwhile, Barau FC, one of the teams involved in the pre-season tournament, has reiterated its decision to withdraw from the competition, citing concerns over its organisation and the decision to continue the tournament following the incident.
The tragedy has once again raised questions about medical preparedness and emergency response at football venues in Nigeria.
Ozor’s death comes exactly one year after Shooting Stars assistant coach Akin Olowokere collapsed and died during a training session on August 11, 2025.
The Nigerian football community was also shaken 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 adequate medical equipment and personnel. Match commissioners and host football associations were also instructed to inspect and test medical facilities before approving venues for matches.