Share

Song wakes up from coma

Yaoundé - Former Cameroon captain Rigobert Song, 40, has emerged from a coma following a stroke and will be airlifted to France for further treatment on Tuesday, a medical official said.

The former Liverpool and West Ham defender who led Cameroon to back-to-back African Cup of Nations wins was rushed to hospital from his Yaounde home on Sunday after suffering a cerebral aneurysm.

The head of the hospital's emergency unit, Louis Joss Bitang, said late Monday that Song had come out of his coma.

"His condition is acceptable," he said, adding that the former player was breathing without aid and cerebral bleeding was controlled. 

Song will be  flown to France Tuesday for treatment at a specialist hospital, he said.

Unmissable on the pitch with his flowing dreadlocks that were dyed blond later in his  career, Song also played for Metz and Lens in France and won two league titles at Galatasaray in Turkey.

For Cameroon he played in the same team as the veteran Roger Milla at the 1994 World Cup before the emergence of goal king Samuel Eto'o alongside whom he helped forge Cameroon's global status.

He was capped 137 times, 36 of them were at CAN finals where he captained his country to the trophy twice in 2000 and 2002 and also won Olympic gold in 2000.

Perhaps the lowest point of his career came at the 2003 Confederations Cup when his friend and central defence partner Marc Vivien Foe died during a game against Colombia from a hereditary heart condition.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1804 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1767 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1067 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 451 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 248 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE