Jean-Pierre Adams: France ex-international wey dey in coma for 39 years don die

Former France footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, wey bin dey in coma for 39 years, don die at di age of 73.

Dem admit Adams for hospital for knee surgery for March 1982 but e no ever regained consciousness afta one mistake with im supply of anaesthetic.

Di defender wey dem born for Senegal make more dan 140 appearances for Nice and also play for Paris St-Germain.

Inside statement, PSG say Adams' "joie de vivre, charisma and experience command respect".

Nice say di club go pay tribute to Adams - wey win 22 caps for France between 1972-1976 - before dia next home game against Monaco on 19 September.

Adams also make 84 appearances for Nimes, wey say dem dey send dia "most sincere condolences to im loved ones and im family".

On di day of Adams' operation to repair im knee - wey im damage wen im dey one coaching training camp - many staff for di hospital for Lyon bin deywere on strike.

Im operation still hapun, di anaesthetist bin dey look afta eight patients, including Adams, at di same time. Na trainee bin supervise Adams, e later say: "I bin no dey up to di task wey dem put for my care."

Between di anaesthetist and trainee, plenti error hapun, e cause Adams to suffer cardiac arrest and brain damage.

No be until di mid-1990s na im di anaesthetist and trainee receive punishment - one-month suspended sentence and 750 euro fine.

Dem discharge Adams from hospital afta 15 months and im wife Bernadette bin don dey take care of for dia house for Nimes ever since den.

'Ogbonge devotion'

Piers Edwards, BBC Sport Africa

Bernadette Adams na ogbonge woman, gentle but strong soul wey never for once consider to turn off her husband life support machine despite im vegetative state.

For fourty years, she don spend nearly every day dey take care of Jean-Pierre, dey change im clothes, prepare im food, never forgetting to give am presents and also dey talk to am too.

Di response na of course silence from di man wey dem once describe as "larger dan life" (and wey im skills bin dey highly rated by German football legend Franz Beckenbauer) but still, nurses bin dey report small mood change on di rare occasion wey Bernadette go out for one night or two.

I bin visit di Adams house for southern France for 2016 for where whereupon Bernadette explain say di hospital no ever apologise for di accident wey she no fit help but dey think about every day.