After South Africa’s triumph, the Super Eagles conduct a moment of silence in memory of the victims.
On Thursday night, the Super Eagles observed a minute of silence in remembrance of the Nigerians who lost their lives during Nigeria’s semi-final encounter against South Africa.
Four people lost their lives on Wednesday night while watching the semi-final match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Among them are Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, a prominent figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Ayuba Abdullahi, the deputy bursar of Kwara State University in Malete; and Samuel, a corps member serving in Adamawa.
Osondu Nwoye, a Cote d’Ivoire-based businessman who was born in Anambra, was also said to have passed away in the hospital after collapsing inside the stadium while watching the game.
Nigeria defeated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a thrilling penalty shootout to secure their spot in the AFCON final.
After 120 minutes, a nerve-wracking and exciting 1-1 draw, the Super Eagles won 4-2 on penalties.
After dinner, the Super Eagles observed a minute of silence for all the lives lost during the game, as seen in a video uploaded to their official X profile (previously Twitter).
The session’s leader, Captain Ahmed Musa, began by expressing the team’s sincere sympathies to the families of the victims of the tragedy and said that the squad could relate to them during this trying time.
We lost four excellent Nigerians yesterday (Wednesday) as a result of our semifinal matchup with South Africa.
We will thus observe a minute of silence and then pray that God will give their families the strength to deal with this irreversible loss.
“They need our support right now, so all we can do is identify with them during this trying period in their lives.
“For them and our nation, we shall raise that trophy on Sunday, insha’Allah,” he declared.
Afterward, Musa asked Chigozie Awaziem, a player for the team, to offer prayers for the team’s souls to rest.
NAN further notes that Chief Nwoye, the Director-General and President of Group Auto Promotion, was among those who perished.
Nwoye was reportedly ecstatic and yelled at the top of his lungs after Victor Osimhen scored the second goal, which VAR eventually disallowed.
He was said to have collapsed inside the stadium as a result of the yell.
After desperate attempts to resuscitate him failed, he was taken to the hospital and declared deceased.
However, specialists warned that if there was an underlying medical issue, excitement could result in unexpected death.
The residents of the Amanuike town in Anambra State, where he is from, were thrown into grief on Wednesday, while the entire nation was celebrating.
He was a distinguished individual, the wealthiest man in the neighborhood, and he gave many people in that community support, safety, and shade.
The AFCON 2023 competition final takes place on Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Stade Olympique Alassane-Ouattara d’Ebimpé in Abidjan between Nigeria and the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire. (NAN)
