Bolton's Fabrice Muamba hospitalized after scary collapse during FA Cup
Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has been admitted to the heart attack center at a London hospital where he is currently in "critically ill condition," according to a statement released by Bolton. Muamba collapsed Saturday night during his team's FA Cup clash with Tottenham – causing the game to be abandoned. Medical experts and players initially feared for Muamba's life after he stopped breathing and fell unconscious during the first half of the quarterfinal at White Hart Lane.
No players were near Muamba when he fell to the ground. Opposition stars Rafael Van der Vaart and Louis Saha immediately called for medical assistance. It was reported that Muamba underwent several minutes of CPR and defibrillation before being taken to the hospital where he is in intensive care.
As several distraught players from both teams prayed on the field for Muamba's safety, referee Howard Webb decided to call off the game, which was then tied at 1-1, and ordered it to be replayed at a future date.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle and team captain Kevin Davies accompanied Muamba to the hospital where a team of doctors urgently worked to stabilize his condition.
Medical staff confirmed to waiting reporters that the 23-year-old, who represented England at Under-21 level but was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, would remain under observation through the night.
Provided he remained in stable condition, an extensive series of tests were planned for Sunday that would seek to determine the cause of his shocking collapse. Those tests may form the basis of whether he will be able to resume his soccer career or not.
[Related: Slideshow: Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapses during FA Cup match]
The crowd at White Hart Lane was stunned into silence as it became clear that Muamba was in serious trouble, punctuated only by the sound of Bolton fans chanting his name.
For those terrifying moments, thoughts turned to tragic Cameroon midfielder Marc Vivien Foe, who collapsed on the field and died during a match in 2003.
Before Muamba had even reached hospital, the outpouring of support from around the soccer world came flooding in.
Seattle Sounders forward Steve Zakuani is a childhood friend of Muamba's and played with him in the youth ranks at Arsenal. "It stuns you to hear about something like that happens to anyone, let alone your friend," Zakuani said. "I have known him forever, and I know how much inner strength he has. Everyone is praying for him."
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