UNKNOWN to the fans and many of the officials, what could have been a tragedy
was averted during the second semi-final match between the Super Eagles Team B
and Ghana Black Stars on Thursday.

Midway into the match, which was played under floodlight, Black Stars’ player,
Akowuah Malik, had a head-on collision with his Super Eagles challenger and went
into coma immediately after that. According to the Director, State Accident and
Ambulance Services, Dr. Adeyemi Adekunle, the Ghanaian suffered what he called
“Cerebral Concursion” and it took the medical team 12 minutes to revive him.
“It was a very serious issue, but thank God we were able to handle it,” he said.
“There was a head-on collision and the player passed out immediately. We offered
a first aid treatment on the pitch before he was stretched out.

“As at the time we took him into the ambulance, he was still in coma and our
initial plan was to rush him to the hospital to carry out a scan in what we
refer to in medical term as ‘Computer Tolographic (CT) on his brain. But then,
there was a vehicle blocking the entrance of the gate and the owner was not
forth coming even when the announcer was making repeated calls for him to move
his car.
“Time was running out and what I did was to work on him inside the ambulance. He
eventually regained consciousness and that was after about 10 to 12 minutes. He
told me later that the only thing he remembered was that he jumped up to contest
a ball with a Nigerian and that was all.
“Even when I took him to his hotel at Continental Suits, I had to take the
ambulance to my house and I slept with one eye open. I was really scared but
thank God for his mercy.”
Nigeria had just equalised through Ekiho Ehiosun and each team was struggling to
outdo the other when Malik got the injury. He was replaced by Atiah Sumaila, but
the Eagles went on to win the game 2-1 with an extra time goal by Warri Wolves’
rave of the moment, Ehiosun, in the 119th minute.