Togo international midfielder Samuel Asamoah of Guangxi Pingguo is at risk of paralysis after breaking his neck in a shocking collision with a pitch-side advertising panel during a league match in China.
Asamoah crashed head-first into an LED board after being shoved by an opponent during a second-tier league game on Sunday.
The impact left the 31 year old who plays for Guangxi Pingguo with multiple neck fractures and severe nerve damage, his club confirmed.
In a statement on Monday, Guangxi Pingguo revealed that Asamoah faces the possibility of “high-level paraplegia,” a condition that results in the loss of movement in the lower body.
The club added that the midfielder had undergone surgery and remains in a stable condition.
“His recovery progress will be announced in due course after follow-up examinations,” the club said.
The incident occurred following a push from Chongqing Tonglianglong midfielder Zhang Zhixiong, who was shown a yellow card for his role in the collision.
Samuel Asamoah, capped six times by Togo, previously played the majority of his career in Belgium before joining Guangxi Pingguo in 2024.
The tragic accident comes weeks after the death of former Arsenal academy striker Billy Vigar, who suffered a fatal brain injury while playing for Chichester City in England’s Isthmian League.
It is believed Vigar’s injury resulted from a collision with a pitch-side concrete wall.
