Nigeria lost five die-hard football fans to the thrill of the 2023 AFCON semifinal clash against South Africa on Wednesday, LCSoccerHub Reports.
From a corp member serving in Adamawa State, a salesperson working for Nestle Plc in Ogun State, a former Delta State politician and House of Representatives Member, a Nigerian business mogul based in Ivory Coast to a Varsity Bursar in Kwara State, the Nigerian football family were thrown into mourning on the back of jubilations after a hard-fought victory over Bafana Bafana.
Two persons were previously reported to have died during the match before three other names were added to the list.
Among those who were confirmed dead during the match is a Delta state politician and former House of Representatives Member Dr Cairo Ojougboh.
Ojouboh was reportedly watching the match live when he suddenly lost his bearing as Mokeona scored a late equaliser to cancel out the Super Eagles’ 1-0 lead.
Mikail Osundiji, a staff of Nestle Plc, is also said to have died while watching the match in Abeokuta in Ogun State. Osundiji suddenly collapsed as the match entered penalty shootouts.
Alhaji Ayuba, a staff of Kwara State University, also passed on during the match. Ayuba is said to have watched the match with friends in a viewing center before he suddenly complained of dizziness and returned home.
At home, he reportedly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
“The deputy bursar watched the Nigeria/South Africa match from the beginning till the end of the extra time, and when it was time for the penalty kick, he complained that he was feeling dizzy, so he said he needed to go back home and rest, not knowing that his BP had gone up.
“So on getting home, he collapsed, and he was rushed to a private hospital in Sango, where he was referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), and before he could be attended to, he died,” the source said.
Samuel, a corp member from Katsina state, who was serving in Adamawa State also passed on while watching the match.
Eyewitnesses said Samuel said he did not like penalties. He suddenly lost himself during the penalties and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
The fifth person who was confirmed dead is Chief Osondu Nwoye. Chief Nwoye died while watching the match live at the Bouate Stadium in Cote D’Ivoire. He reportedly collapsed after Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning penalty that sent the Super Eagles into the final of the tournament.
The Super Eagles mourned all the five fans who died during the match. Taking to their X handle, they wrote;
“During our semi-final match, we tragically lost a few supporters.
“In a cruel twist of fate, their fervent passion for the beautiful game unwittingly led them to their final moments as Nigeria vs South Africa match unfolded, they were lost in the thrill of the game, unaware of the looming danger. May the souls of the departed find eternal peace. They will forever be remembered for their love of football and what it brings. Rest in peace.”
During the course of our semi-final match, we tragically lost few supporters. In a cruel twist of fate, their fervent passion for the beautiful game unwittingly led them to their final moments
As the Nigeria vs South Africa match unfolded, they were lost in the thrill of the… pic.twitter.com/3ITEUtza3v— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 8, 2024
Nigeria defeated South Africa to qualify for the final where they will take on Ivory Coast on Sunday, February 11.
