23 Year Old Nigerian Football Player, Rabiu Ibrahim Thinking Of Retiring From Football After Collapsing During Game (SEE PHOTO)
Nigeria midfielder, Rabiu Ibrahim may quit football following the shocking incident at Rugby Park on Saturday during a Scottish Premiership game between Kilmarnock and Ross County.
The midfielder collapsed just 34 minutes into the match and was taken to University Hospital Crosshouse, a five-minute drive from Rugby Park.
The 23-year-old, who joined the Killie from Celtic in January, went to ground unchallenged in the first half of the game.
He was taken off on a stretcher and taken to University Hospital Crosshouse.
Kilmarnock manager, Allan Johnston visited him in hospital on Sunday night after the club’s 3-0 home Youth Cup win against Aberdeen.
He revealed that the hospital will be keeping the Nigerian under observation with further tests set to be
carried out.
“They are keeping Rabiu in to do further tests,” he told authoritative Scottish newspaper, the Record.
The trainer then took the time to give a graphic account of the incidents of Saturday.
“He is feeling fine so hopefully that is a good sign. I watched the DVD of the game again – he just sits down in the middle of the park and then lies down. But nobody touched him,” he said.
It will be recalled that Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba similarly went down unchallenged at White Hart Lane 19 months ago.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed sadness over the incident.
NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari said he was shocked to learn of the news and wished the player “a speedy recovery.”
“I was shocked beyond words when I heard the news. We will be getting through to Rabiu and his club and wish him a speedy recovery,” Maigari told supersport.com.
Ibrahim has been capped by Nigeria at under-17, 20 and 23 levels.
He was called up by the Nigeria national team coach, Stephen Keshi to a preparatory camp in Portugal as the Super Eagles prepared for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
