By Bonface Mulyungi

Christian Eriksen collapsed once again in a friendly match between Denmark and Ukraine at Nature Energy Park in Odense, Denmark on Sunday.

In the second half with Denmark up 2-1, Eriksen appeared to hold his chest and fall to the ground prompting a pause in play. The Danish football association has since clarified that he is conscious and that the match has been called off.

The incident had worried teammates and fans reminded of a similar incident involving the same player five years ago in the 2020 European Championships where his heart stopped for roughly five minutes.

Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in Denmark’s Euro 2020 game against Finland in Copenhagen, causing the suspension of the match in the first half.

Danish players were in tears as medical staff tried to revive the then Inter Milan player, who suddenly collapsed near the touchline.

The previously raucous crowd at the Parken Stadium in the Danish capital went silent after the 29-year-old fell to the ground near the end of the opening period, with his teammates gathering around him.

After around 15 minutes, Eriksen was stretchered off the field, followed by the rest of the Denmark team, while Finland’s players also left the pitch.

The match eventually resumed at 12:00 am IST with Finland beating Denmark 1-0.

His teammates formed a protective wall around him as medical workers resuscitated him with a defibrillator.

The 29-year-old Eriksen spent a week in the hospital, where he had a type of pacemaker fitted, before going home to Denmark to recover.

Six months later, Eriksen restarted his football career Brentford becoming a much-loved part of the outfit before moving to Manchester United for three seasons. He then joined Wolfsburg last year.

Neither ⁠Denmark nor Ukraine ⁠has qualified for this year’s FIFA World Cup.