Katsina United have clarified reports surrounding the death of their newly signed defender, Chinedu Ozor, dismissing claims that the player regained consciousness after he was pronounced dead and taken to a mortuary.
Ozor collapsed during Katsina United’s pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Tuesday. Despite efforts to save him, the 33-year-old defender was declared dead following the medical emergency.
The incident later generated confusion after reports circulated that Ozor had shown signs of life at the mortuary and was subsequently taken back to hospital. Katsina United, however, described those reports as false and said the player never regained consciousness.
According to the club, the confusion followed a request from Ozor’s family for further medical confirmation after his initial death was declared. The additional examination was reportedly prompted by the family’s hope that he might still be alive, but the club maintained that there was no recovery or return to consciousness.
Katsina United subsequently appealed to the media, bloggers and the wider public to stop spreading what it described as false information and allow Ozor’s family, teammates and the football community to mourn him with dignity.
The tragic incident has cast a shadow over the club’s pre-season preparations and sparked widespread grief across Nigeria’s football community. Ozor had only recently joined Katsina United after previous spells with clubs including Heartland and Kano Pillars.
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