Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Soccer-Bordeaux's Kalu fine after collapsing, says team mate

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Group Stage - Group C - Bordeaux v Zenit Saint Petersburg - Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux, France - November 8, 2018 Bordeaux's Samuel Kalu in action with Zenit Saint Petersburg's Aleksandr Erokhin REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

Girondins de Bordeaux striker Samuel Kalu is feeling fine after collapsing in the sixth minute of their Ligue 1 match at Olympique de Marseille on Sunday, his team mate Remy Oudin said.

Oudin replaced Kalu in the 14th minute after the 23-year-old Nigerian fell to the ground on a hot evening at the Stade Velodrome, with medics rushing on to the pitch with a stretcher to attend him.

Having been shielded by his team mates after he collapsed, Kalu was able to get up and walk off the pitch with their help while holding an ice pack against his head.

The striker, who also collapsed from severe dehydration during a Nigeria training session at the 2019 African Cup of Nations, resumed playing several moments later but appeared groggy and was eventually substituted.

"According to the doctor, it was just a dizzy spell," said Oudin, who netted Bordeaux's equaliser as they fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw.

"He is to take more tests and we will know more tomorrow (Monday) during the day. It gave us a bit of a chill and it's still quite shocking.

"We inevitably thought about what happened with (Denmark midfielder Christian) Eriksen, the whole team and everyone was scared. We're happy for Kalu, everything is fine and that's the most important thing."

The stadium went silent during the incident, which brought back memories of Eriksen's collapse at Euro 2020 in June when he suffered a heart attack in the first half of Denmark's match against Finland in Copenhagen.

Eriksen's life was saved when CPR was administered to him on the pitch and his heart was re-started with a defibrillator before he was taken to hospital, where he recovered after undergoing heart surgery.

(Writing by Zoran MilosavljevicEditing by Toby Davis)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.