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Ardent football fans were consumed by the tension and passion of goal scoring in football…leading to death, perhaps due to underlying ailments on Wednesday.
Not fewer than four, known and reported cases, die watching Eagles, S’Africa penalties
They died while watching the penalty shoot-outs between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana of South Africa during the semifinal match at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Bouaké, on Wednesday.
Those who died included a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Cairo Ojougboh; the Kwara State University Deputy Bursar, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi; a sales reprsentatives, Mikhail Osundiji; a serving National Youth Service Corps member, identified simply as Samuel .
And an Anambra-born businessman based in Cote d’Ivoire, Osondu Nwoye,
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with both goals coming from penalties at regular time. Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, converted his 67-minute kick and Teboho Mokoena equalised from a 90th-minute spot-kick for the South Africans.
The Mokoena equaliser came just after the Super Eagles thought they had scored another goal through a tap-in from Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, which was upturned after the referee checked the Video Assistant Referee for an infringement in the Nigerian penalty box in the build-up to the goal.
The dramatic twist in the tension-soaked match was said to have led to the death of the former member of the House of Representatives representing the Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State, Ojougboh, who reportedly screamed and subsequently slumped as soon as the South Africans scored the equalising penalty kick.
The family said Ojougboh was watching the match, and immediately South Africa scored the goal, he shouted and slumped.
“All efforts to revive him were not fruitful. It was around 3 a.m. when the family announced his death.
Similarly, the deputy bursar of KWASU, Abdullahi, was said to have died on Wednesday night while watching the same match.
He was buried on Thursday morning, according to Islamic rites.
The university’s Director of Information, Dr. Saedat Aliyu, confirmed Abdullahi’s death, describing the late deputy bursar as a “jovial and radiant person” who was always ready to assist other people.
According to her, “There is no dull moment when you’re with Alhaji Ayuba. He’s very jovial and ready to render assistance to anyone who goes to him for such assistance. He came to work on Wednesday and was full of life. He was jovial and radiant at the office.”
In Adamawa State, an NYSC member, identified only as Samuel, who hailed from Kaduna State, was said to have also passed away just before Nigeria’s final penalty kick, which secured the Eagles’ win in the match.
The NYSC Coordinator in Adamawa State, Jingi Dennis, said on Thursday that the corps member was confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Numan.
In Bouaké, the Anambra-born billionaire, Chief Nwoye, himself an avid football lover, reportedly slumped while watching the same match.
The news of his death was made known in a post by a Facebook user, Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, on Thursday.
High Chief Osondu Nwoye was the richest Igbo businessman based in Ivory Coast before yesterday (Wednesday).
He had travelled to Bouaké, the city that hosted the Super Eagles match yesterday, to watch his darling Super Eagles play.
“According to eyewitnesses, the High Chief was on top of the moon, shouting in his voice, when Victor Osimen scored that second goal, which was later cancelled by VAR.
“Maybe the shock of seeing the goal canceled and penalty awarded to South Africa was too much to bear for his fragile heart, which failed immediately, which resulted in the High Chief collapsing inside the stadium.
“All the frenetic efforts to revive him failed, as he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“While the whole country was rejoicing yesterday, the people of the Amanuike community in Anambra State, where he came from, were mourning.
“They just lost an illustrious person, the richest man in the community, who was an iroko who provided shelter, shade, and succor to many in that community,” Iwuchukwu partly wrote on his Facebook timeline on Thursday.
Forty three-year-old Osundiji reportedly slumped as aresult of a suspected shock after the centre referee nullified Nigeria’s second goal scored by Osimhen.
