Dead Nigerian footballer wakes up in the morgue

Football is accustomed to comeback stories, but Chinedu Ozor’s unfolded far beyond the pitch.

The Katsina United defender collapsed during a pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes at Muhammadu Dikko Stadium and was rushed to hospital, where he was reportedly pronounced dead.

Condolences followed.

Then came the astonishing reversal: after Ozor had been taken to the mortuary, signs of movement were reportedly noticed, and he was returned to care, placed on oxygen in the ICU.

The episode leaves Nigerian medical services confronting hard questions: how was death determined, who failed medically, and how close did medical negligence come to creating an irreversible mistake?

Nigerians have been having their say on social media:

Bro collapsed on the pitch, got pronounced dead, and started shaking in the mortuary like a malfunctioning generator. The level of medical incompetence in Nigeria is a different breed. They almost embalmed a living man. Nigeria will test your faith, your patience, and apparently your pulse – @Boshielodm_

If he was a Muslim, he would have been buried – @_olamidebakare

Or they didn’t confirm he was dead. Weak system – @celebritytailol

His career has not yet released him to go. He must finish qhat [sic]he came to do on earth.. – @sure_roman

Naso we see am oo, Thank GOD for he life -@AigbedionOnome

Omo so the Nigerian footballer that slumped and was declared deäd this morning later woke up in the mortuary. – @peace_igho