Togo international Samuel Asamoah is at risk of paraplegia after breaking his neck in a collision with a pitch-side advertising board during a Chinese League One match. The 31-year-old midfielder was shoved by an opponent while jostling for the ball, causing him to crash head-first into an LED advertising panel.
His club, Guangxi Pingguo, confirmed that Asamoah suffered fractures in his neck and nerve damage. In a statement on Monday, the club said: 'He is at risk of high-level paraplegia and will miss all remaining games this season. His career may also be seriously affected.'
On Wednesday, the club provided an update, stating that Asamoah was recovering from surgery and in a stable condition. They added: 'Guangxi Pingguo FC sincerely thanks all fans and all walks of life for their concern and support for Samuel Asamoah. His recovery progress will be announced in due course after follow-up examinations.'
Asamoah spent most of his career in Belgium before moving to China last year. He has earned six caps for Togo. The opposition player, Chongqing Tonglianglong's Zhang Zhixiong, received a yellow card for the incident.
Chinese football authorities confirmed that the advertising display was positioned three metres from the field, in line with international standards. The incident follows the death of former Arsenal player Billy Vigar last month, who suffered a fatal brain injury after colliding with a concrete perimeter barrier while playing for non-league Chichester.
