This Player Lost 6 Hours Of His Memory After Suffering A Concussion In A World Cup Match

The winger reportedly lost consciousness for several minutes and suffered a concussion during the 15 June match.

Morocco's medical team rushed to the field to treat the player on the sidelines and they could be seen "slapping" the player when handling his head injury. The medical staff's response to the situation was heavily criticised.

Amrabat was eventually substituted in the match, which ended with Morocco’s 1-0 defeat to Iran.

The 31-year-old began the game in a protective headgear but he took it off after playing 16 minutes into the match against Portugal, an action that also attracted widespread criticism.

Amrabat's appearance for Morocco was a violation of FIFA protocols on concussions, which state that players should have at least six days' rest after such an impact on the head.

A report by The Guardian revealed that FIFA demanded an explanation from the Moroccan Football Federation as to why Amrabat was allowed to play against Portugal, calling it a “questionable” decision.

FIFA also issued a letter to the Moroccan team's doctor to "remind" him of the importance to adhere to the guidelines that have been communicated, in a response to how the medical team had handled Amrabat's concussion during the match against Iran.

FIFPro, the world players' union, also condemned Amrabat's involvement in their own statement which was posted on Twitter.

"I can't remember anything from it. I can't even remember the beginning of the game before the incident. From the first minute of the match until I woke up in the hospital five or six hours later, I have forgotten everything! When I think about it now, it is quite scary," Amrabat told ESPN after playing in the Morocco-Portugal match.

According to Amrabat, he said that he "felt good" and decided on his own that he wanted to return to action after a brain scan showed that there was no damage to his brain.

Amrabat said, "They [the Morocco head coach and the team doctor] asked me how I felt and it was my decision to play. I wanted to play, I told them and I played."

"I Googled the consequences that concussion can have on someone and I thought I can do it, I can play. I am my own doctor and hopefully nothing will happen to me in the long term," he added.

Chairman of FIFA's medical committee, Michel D'Hooghe was reported as saying that Morocco team doctor Abderrazak Hifti had admitted that fielding Amrabat, who had shown "clear symptoms of cerebral concussion", for the match against Portugal was the wrong decision.

"He (Hifti) accepted the fact that the player should not have played after five days but that he needed six days," D'Hooghe was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
 
"He said that it would never happen again," D'Hooghe added.

According to D'Hooghe, Hifti apparently buckled under pressure from the player himself.