Nigeria international and Enugu Rangers striker Ifeanyi George, has died, alongside his teammate Emmanuel Ogbu in a ghastly car accident on Sunday morning.
The players died instantly after their car rammed into a stationary truck in Delta State.
Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the deaths on their official twitter handle.
“We are shocked to hear of the sad passing of striker Ifeanyi George and Emmanuel Ogbu players of @rangersint” the statement read.
“Both players were involved in a fatal auto crash earlier on Sunday. Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and Rangers’ Mgt. May their souls Rest In Peace.”
We are shocked to hear of the sad passing of striker Ifeanyi George and Emmanuel Ogbu players of @rangersint . Both players were involved in a fatal auto crash earlier on Sunday. Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and Rangers’ Mgt. May their souls Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/LvJWra4fZt — The NFF ???????? (@thenff) March 22, 2020
According to reports, the footballers were on their way to Lagos from Enugu following the suspension of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) 2019/20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Clubs have been allowing their players to return to their base to stay with their families until normality resumes.
The two deaths come exactly one month after Remo Stars Tiamiyu Kazeem was reportedly killed by members of the Anti-Robbery Squad while trying to cross the expressway to evade arrest.
Sanni Abubakar, a principal witness in the death of a Remo Stars Football Club player, Tiamiyu Kazeem, has narrated how operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad allegedly caused his death. He countered the claim by the police that the late defender jumped out of the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/zn4HvbHwhz — Lagos Talks (@LagosTalks913) February 25, 2020
Nasarawa United’s Chieme Martins also lost his life a fortnight ago during the Nigeria Professional Football League tie in Lafia against Katsina United.
Martins died after a collision with an opposing player.
SAD NEWS!!!
NPFL side, Nasarawa United player Chieme Martins is dead...
He slumped on the pitch against Katsina United this afternoon and efforts to revive him by the medics and subsquent rush to the hospital proved unhelpful. pic.twitter.com/N66rCZSKUv — POOJA... (@PoojaMedia) March 8, 2020
The coronavirus crisis has led some countries to halt sports activities, while others have opted to play their games behind closed doors.