Katsina footballer who almost had a second chance at life declared dead, club narrates what truly happened

• Katsina United defender Chinedu Ozor has been confirmed dead after collapsing during a pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes.

• Katsina United debunks reports that Chinedu Ozor regained consciousness after he was pronounced dead and taken to a mortuary.

• The football club appeals to the public to stop spreading unverified reports about his death.

The club, in a statement signed by its Media Directorate on Wednesday, August 12, clarified reports that the 30-year-old footballer regained consciousness after he was pronounced dead and taken to a mortuary.

According to Katsina United, Ozor did not regain consciousness after his collapse and efforts to save his life were unsuccessful.

The clarification followed reports that the footballer was taken to a nearby hospital after he collapsed during Tuesday’s match at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina, where a doctor reportedly pronounced him dead.

Reports later claimed that after his body was transferred to Katsina General Hospital, medical personnel noticed movement and raised the alarm. Ozor was said to have been taken to the intensive care unit and placed on oxygen, sparking hope that he had survived.

However, Katsina United has described the reports of his return to life as false, while explaining that his family requested further medical confirmation before his body was taken to the mortuary.

The club said, “There are moments when words simply fail us. This is one of those moments.

With broken hearts, we wish to clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragic passing of our player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a friendly match against Niger Tornadoes at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium, Katsina.

Despite the efforts that followed, Chinedu sadly passed away.

We have seen reports claiming that Chinedu later regained consciousness or ‘came back to life.’ We understand that people desperately wanted this to be true. We all did. But sadly, those reports are not true.”

The club further explained that Ozor’s family, overwhelmed by the sudden incident, asked for additional medical confirmation in the hope that he was still alive.

“The heartbreaking moments after the incident, Chinedu's family, overwhelmed by shock and refusing to give up hope, asked for further medical confirmation before his body was taken to the morgue. They were a family desperately hoping that somehow, against all odds, their loved one was still with them.”

Katsina United stressed that the family’s hope should not be mistaken for evidence that the player survived.

“That moment of hope must not be turned into a story that Chinedu survived.

He did not regain consciousness. He passed away.”

The club also appealed to the public to stop spreading unverified reports about Ozor’s death, noting that the misinformation had added to the pain of his family, teammates and friends.

“We know how difficult this is to accept. We know many people are still trying to process what happened. His teammates are grieving. His friends are grieving. The club is grieving. And somewhere, a family is facing a pain that words cannot begin to describe.

So please, we ask from the bottom of our hearts: stop the rumours. Stop the false reports. Stop sharing unverified information.

At this moment, what his family needs is compassion, not speculation. What his teammates need is space to grieve. And what Chinedu deserves is to be remembered with dignity.

Please let us allow him to rest.

May God give his family the strength to carry this unimaginable pain, and may the soul of Chinedu Ozor rest in perfect peace.”

Ozor’s death has cast a shadow over Katsina United’s pre-season preparations, with the club and his teammates now mourning the defender.

The circumstances surrounding his death also triggered widespread public attention after reports of his alleged return to life circulated online, prompting the club to issue its clarification and urge the public to rely on verified information.