Equatorial Guinea international goalkeeper Jesús Owono, of FC Andorra, collided with CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel during a Spanish second division match. The 30-year-old player died at 8:00 (7:00 GMT).
Jesús de Miguel, a 30-year-old CD Tenerife striker, died at 8:00 (7:00 GMT) following a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in a Spanish second division match, AFP reports via Newstalk ZB.
The Tenerife club announced the news in a statement cited by the same source: “Broken with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe it is real, CD Tenerife announces the tragic death, at 8:00 (07:00 GMT), of Jesús de Miguel Alameda.”
A rush out and a knee
According to Sportslive.wine, the collision happened late in the match at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium, with the two teams level at 2-2. Owono had come off his line to clear a long ball; his knee struck De Miguel’s chest. The goalkeeper was sent off and the match was abandoned.
The Tenerife striker suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated, then taken to hospital in intensive care. The club first reported a “neurological deterioration” before announcing his death, AFP says. Spanish police have opened an investigation under judicial supervision.
Insults and tears for Owono
The 25-year-old goalkeeper, who has 47 caps for Equatorial Guinea and played for Alaves last season, was insulted after the tragedy. According to Sportslive.wine and COPE, some fans reportedly shouted “murderer” in the stadium, and the player is said to have cried and prayed in the dressing room. He has since deleted his Instagram account.
The impact has gone beyond the club. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and the Spanish federation offered their condolences, while Gerard Piqué, majority shareholder of FC Andorra and former defender, responded in the same vein: “I am so sorry. Rest in peace, Jesús.”
Felipe Minambres, president of CD Tenerife, grasped the scale of the shock: “We are unable to believe what has happened, but we will go through the mourning, we will come together. We will need professional help, but also the support of all our fans, because they will share the same feeling as us today.”
Matches on hold
The Tenerife-Granada match on 7 November and Badajoz-Tenerife in the Copa del Rey on 10 November were due to be postponed after discussions with the RFEF, according to AFP.
On the Equatorial Guinea side, the file contains no reaction from the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation, presided over by Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha.