Togo international midfielder Samuel Asamoah suffered a devastating neck injury while playing for his Chinese second-tier club, Guangxi Pingguo, on Sunday.
The 31-year-old fractured his neck after being shoved by an opponent and colliding head-first with a pitch-side advertising board.
Guangxi Pingguo confirmed the injury includes multiple fractures and extensive nerve damage, warning that Asamoah is at risk of “high-level paraplegia”—the inability to voluntarily move the lower body.
The midfielder, who has six caps for Togo, has since undergone surgery and is in a stable condition, according to the club, which promised updates on his recovery. The opponent responsible for the shove was given a yellow card.
The incident raises further concerns over player safety near pitch boundaries, following the recent tragic death of 21-year-old former Arsenal academy striker Billy Vigar last month due to a severe brain injury, thought to have been caused by colliding with a concrete wall.
