Football fans have strong emotions when watching their teams on match days, but die-hard fans are more at risk of experiencing dangerous ‘fight or flight’ reactions that can trigger potential health threats and deaths. LARA ADEJORO writes
Hopes were high ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final match between Nigeria and South Africa on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. But soon into the high-stakes match, tension set in and emotions began to fluctuate.
The confidence the supporters of Nigeria’s Super Eagles had in its ‘strongest’ team began to ease off.
About 20 minutes into the match, the supporters began to realise that it was not a day that would turn out how they expected. South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, was neck-and-neck with the Super Eagles at the most prestigious football competition in Africa.
The tension grew more in the second half after a penalty kick was awarded against Nigeria, and Teboho Mokoena equalised in the 90th minute through the penalty.
While some persons were able to handle the emotional spikes, others could not handle the football frenzy grips of the match.
For instance, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented the Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State, Dr Cairo Ojougboh died on Wednesday evening while watching the semi-finals match.
Dr Ojougboh reportedly died shortly after a penalty kick was awarded against Nigeria.
Dr Ojougboh was said to have shouted and slumped due to a massive heart attack when SA scored.
The Publicity Secretary of Agbor Community Union, Augustine Ekamagule, confirmed the death of the famous Delta politician in a telephone conversation with The PUNCH.
He said, “According to the President General of the Agbor Community Union, Chief Laurence Onyeche, Ojougboh died in Abuja while watching the football match of Nigeria vs South Africa.”
Similarly, a member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Adamawa State has reportedly died during the penalty shootouts of the match on Wednesday evening.
It was gathered that the corps member, identified simply as Samuel, from Kaduna State, allegedly passed away just before the final kick, which secured Nigeria’s win in the match.
A witness who recounted the event on a social media post, wrote, “We lost one Nigerian during our victory celebration over South Africa at our sports viewing centre here in Numan.
“The corps member who is serving in Numan from Kaduna State fainted before the kick of the winning goal.
“He died before they could reach the hospital in Numan. May his soul rest in peace.”
Also, the NYSC Coordinator in Adamawa State, Jingi Dennis, on Thursday, said the corps member was confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Numan.
Dennis said, ”I received the news of his death last night. I hope to have more details today.
“According to his colleagues who went with him to watch the match, the late corps member told the people around him that he did not like watching penalty shootouts. He then bowed his head and all of a sudden, he collapsed.
”He was confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Numan by the doctor.”
Again, the Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University Malete, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi died while watching the match.
Sources close to the deceased but who spoke on condition of anonymity said, Abdullahi went to a sports centre in the Sango area before he started feeling uneasy.
One of the sources said, “The Deputy Bursar watched the Nigeria/South Africa match from the beginning till the end of the extra time, till it was time for a penalty kick.
“He complained that he was feeling dizzy, so he said he needed to go back home and rest not knowing that his BP had gone up.
“On getting home, he collapsed and was rushed to a private hospital in Sango and he was referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and before he could be attended to, he died.
“He was buried on Thursday morning according to Islamic rites.”
The university’s Director of Information, Dr Saedat Aliyu, confirmed Abdullahi’s death.
Aliyu, however, stated that the cause of death was yet to be ascertained by the management of the university.
“Yes, he died last night. He was hale and hearty and was full of life on Wednesday at his office. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Firdaus” she said.
A statement by the university said, “This is to announce the death of Mr. Ayuba Olaitan Abdullahi of the Bursary Department.
“Janazah will be held this morning, and his remains will be interred at the Hausa Muslim cemetery, Apata Yakuba, Oyun area, Ilorin, at 9 am.”
According to experts, die-hard fans of sports are at risk of cardiac events, particularly in individuals with a prior history of coronary artery disease.
In 2020, researchers at the University of Oxford said football fans are putting themselves at risk of a heart attack due to the intense levels of physical stress caused by watching their team.
The study verified a scientific link between fans’ intense group bonding with their team and levels of cortisol (stress hormone) while they watch football.
The Oxford study titled “Devoted fans release more cortisol when watching live soccer matches,” and published in the journal Stress and Health, collected the saliva of 40 football fans before, during, and after three World Cup matches, including Brazil’s historic semi-final loss (1–7) to Germany. The research found that levels of the hormone cortisol shot up during the games.
“Cortisol rocketed during live games for the fans who were highly fused to the team,” said the lead researcher at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Dr Martha Newson. “It was particularly high during games where their team lost.
“Interestingly, there were no differences in cortisol concentrations between men and women. Despite preconceptions that men tend to be more bonded to their football teams, women were in fact found to be slightly more bonded to their national team than the men.”
A professor of Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Philip Kolo said, watching matches live is very dangerous for those who have heart disease.
“Those who have cardiac diseases have to be careful, because football is an emotional game, and for people who are not fit, cardiovascular wise, either they have hypertension or heart disease, it is wrong for you to expose yourself to that kind of sports.
“When you are stressed, adrenaline will start coming up, and it fires your heart rate. It is like you are seeing a lion, and your heart rate will increase. When you are exposed to stress, your heart rate may go to 120 or even more, and some cardiac arrhythmias may set in, and that is what causes some of these deaths,” Prof. Kolo explained.
He noted that it is possible those without heart disease die during or after matches.
“The people who are dying are usually middle-aged or the elderly. As you are growing older, heart disease continues to increase, so I want to believe that for the fans, most of the time, it is usually among the elderly,” Kolo said.
A former Chairman of the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr. Tunji Akintade said one of the reasons for sudden deaths during matches is excitement.
Sudden death is the death of an individual who seemingly is in good health from natural causes within 24 hours of the onset of acute symptoms, the time and mode of death of such persons are unexpected.
Dr Akintade said, “The hormone of excitement is adrenaline, once it goes into the system it makes the heart to race, thereby increasing the oxygen demand, and once the oxygen demand is high, and there is likelihood of heart attack, and even death.
“People get very excited, and that can lead to a sudden peak in adrenaline levels. And this increases stress on the heart, increases blood pressure, and increases heart rate,” Dr. Vincent Figueredo explained.
The experts, however, said deaths among footballers and their fans during football matches can be prevented.
Prof Kolo advised, “The ideal thing is that, if you are interested in sports, especially when your favourite team is playing, it is better to watch the recorded match, instead of watching the live match.
“It is also important to do routine checkups from time to time to be sure that you don’t have any heart disease problems or any disease that will predispose you to heart problems.”
Dr Akintade urged individuals to understand their health status.
“You need to understand the kind of patient that you are. If you are hypertensive, fat, obese, and nervous, you should be cautious during live matches.
“If you can watch the live match, you can avoid watching the penalty. Drink water and take a walk during those matches,” Akintade said.
According to the Oxford study, fans had used humour, and hugging as coping mechanism.