At least four people died on Wednesday while watching the semi-final match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
The deceased include a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Cairo Ojougboh, Deputy Bursar, Kwara State University, Malete, Ayuba Abdullahi, a corps member serving in Adamawa State, simply identified as Samuel, an Anambra-born businessman, Osondu Nwoye, based in Cote d’Ivoire, and a sales rep in Abeokuta.
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Recall that the Super Eagles won the match 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
It was learned that Ojougboh, who is an erstwhile member representing the Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives and former Executive Director of Projects on the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), slumped in his house in Abuja while watching the match.
Reports indicate that the politician slumped when a penalty kick was awarded against Nigeria during the match, which gave the South Africans an equaliser.
He was said to have suffered a heart attack and was confirmed dead at a hospital he was rushed to.
Ayuba Abdullahi, the Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University, also died while watching the match.
Sources close to the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abdullahi went to a viewing centre in the Sango area before he started feeling unease.
One of the sources said, “The deputy bursar watched the Nigeria/South Africa match from the beginning till the end of the extra time and continued till it was time for penalty kicks.
“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.
“On getting home, he collapsed and was rushed to a private hospital in Sango, where he was referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, but died before he could be attended to.
“He was buried yesterday morning, according to Islamic rites.”
Samuel, the young man who is an NYSC Corp member, also died during the penalty shootouts of the match.
The corps member from Kaduna State allegedly passed away just before the final kick, which secured Nigeria’s win in the match.
A post by the NYSC read: “We lost one Nigerian during our victory celebration over South Africa at our sports viewing centre here in Numan.
The corps member who is serving in Numan from Kaduna State fainted before the kick of the winning goal.
“He died before they could reach the hospital in Numan. May his soul rest in peace.”
Osondu Nwoye, It was reported that the billionaire allegedly died in Ivory Coast Stadium while watching the match.
Nwoye was said to be the richest Igbo businessman based in Ivory Coast before his death.
In a post yesterday, Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, a Facebook user, quoted a witness as saying that Nwoye was on top of the moon, shouting at the top of his voice when Nigerian striker Victor Osihmen scored the second goal, which was later cancelled by the Video Assistant Referee, VAR.
Reports claim that the shock of seeing the goal cancelled led to his heart attack.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital but all efforts to revive him failed as he was pronounced dead.
Also, a sales representative who works with one of the multi-national manufacturing companies in Nigeria, Nestle, died watching the match in Abeokuta.
The 43-year-old man, identified as Mikail Osundiji, allegedly died as a result of shock after the centre referee cancelled Nigeria’s second goal against South Africa, scored by striker Victor Osimhen, and awarded a penalty against the Super Eagles.
An elder sister to the deceased Adetunji Nofisat told a Newspaper that Osundiji suddenly breathed out heavily after the cancellation of Nigeria’s second goal, lowered his head and consequently fell to the ground at the viewing centre.
“That was when other people at the viewing centre rushed to him and took him to one of the private hospitals in Olomoore, where the doctor on duty pronounced him dead,” she said.
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