Heartland Football Club’s coach, and former Nigeria goalkeeper, Christian Obi, has lost his life in a ghastly accident that involved the team’s bus on Friday, leaving other players injured.
It was gathered that the unfortunate incident occurred at Umunna, near Okigwe, Imo State, when the club’s players and officials were on their way to Abakaliki for the Ifeanyi Ekwueme TICO/SELECT Pre-season Tournament.
This was confirmed in a press statement issued to the public, by the club management to newsmen on Friday.
The statement partly reads: “With sadness in our heart and with total submission to the will of God, Heartland FC is announcing the death of Christian Power Obi who died on Friday 23rd August, 2024 from a road accident en route Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to participate in the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament.
“The heart breaking day saw the Heartland FC team departing the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri for the preseason Tournament with enthusiasm at around 3:30pm in three vehicles but at about some minutes after 4pm, one of the vehicles rammed into a carelessly parked truck in its attempt to evade an oncoming vehicle.
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“The driver tried as he could but the impact of the collision caused a sudden shock to our coach, Christian Obi who was unconscious with a slight injury to his right leg upon evacuation from the badly affected part of the bus.
“Coach Obi and other injured players were rushed to the nearby hospital at Okwelle in Onuimo LGA of Imo State but despite the best efforts of the medical personnel our revered coach gave up the ghost.
“Words alone cannot fully capture how the news of his death has thrown everyone at the club into deep mourning because of how precious Coach Obi was to the club.
“His name would continue to remain etched in the history of the club following the club’s unbeaten run in the Nigeria National League throughout the 2022-23 season a feat that culminated in the club winning the NNL Super 8 in Asaba, Delta State.
“Coach Obi remains have since been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, (FUTH) morgue in Owerri while the injured have been referred to the same hospital for more proper care.
INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the 57 years old, who coached the team last season, was a Nigeria youth international goalkeeper who competed in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
