Nigerian football Chineme Martins collapsed on the field during a league match and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Martins played as a defender for Nasarawa United, a club in Nigerian Premier League. It's chairman Isaac Danladi told ESPN about the above events.
"He slumped on the field of play and was rushed to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital and passed [away] there," Danladi told ESPN.
"It is a sad day for Nigerian football and we are devastated."
According to ESPN, witnesses said that Martins collided with another player and passed out on the field right before first-half ended.
League Management Company released a statement which quoted chairman Shehu Dikho as saying that the LMC expects an autopsy.
"It is hoped that the findings of the autopsy would inform subsequent measures, if any, that has not been addressed by the existing standard procedures," the statement read.
However, three previous death incidents have been recorded while playing on Nigerian football fields.
David Omofeye collapsed was taken to the Lagos General Hospital where he was pronounced dead in 1954.
A similar case in 1974 saw Shooting Stars' John Akande colliding with an opposing player and dying soon after.
In a 1995 African Cup Winners Cup game against Mozambique's Maxaquene, Julius Berger's Amir Angwe also collapsed and died.
