Togo’s Samuel Asamoah Suffers Broken Neck in Tragic On-Field Accident
Togo international midfielder Samuel Asamoah has suffered a severe neck injury after a horrifying collision during a football match in China, an incident that his club says could potentially leave him paralysed.
The 31-year-old, who plays for Chinese second-tier side Guangxi Pingguo, crashed head-first into a pitch-side LED advertising board after being pushed by an opposing player during a league game on Sunday.
In an official statement released on Monday, Guangxi Pingguo confirmed that Asamoah had sustained multiple fractures in his neck and serious nerve damage, putting him at risk of “high-level paraplegia.”
(Paraplegia refers to the loss of voluntary movement in the lower part of the body.)
The club later announced that Asamoah had undergone successful surgery and is currently in stable condition.
“His recovery progress will be announced in due course following further examinations,”
Guangxi Pingguo stated.
The incident occurred when Chongqing Tonglianglong midfielder Zhang Zhixiong shoved Asamoah, sending him headfirst into the advertising panel. Zhang was shown a yellow card for the shove.
Asamoah, who made his international debut for Togo in 2022, spent most of his professional career in Belgium before transferring to China in 2024. He has earned six caps for the Togolese national team.
The incident comes just weeks after another tragic football accident, the death of Billy Vigar, a 21-year-old former Arsenal academy striker, who passed away following a severe brain injury sustained while playing for Chichester City FC in England. Vigar reportedly collided with a pitch-side concrete wall, although the club has not confirmed the details.