Former Super Eagles midfielder Emmanuel Ebiede passed away on Friday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, from hepatomegaly (liver enlargement).
Ebiede, 47, reportedly died at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital around 4pm.
He is survived by his wife and three children—two of whom are in Nigeria and one in Holland.
The midfielder competed for the Flying Eagles in the 1995 home edition of the African Youth Championship.
The former SC Heerenveen player’s death was verified to our correspondent by the UK-based David Doherty, a candidate for the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation in the last election.
Doherty had set up a donation account so that people might help the dying Ebiede up to his passing.
“I just spoke with the daughter who confirmed to me that Emmanuel is dead,” Doherty told The PUNCH.
“I’m very sad as we speak. This was someone whom I spoke with two days ago to know how he was faring.
Ebiede won two caps for the Super Eagles, earning his first on January 28, 1998, in a 1-0 victory against Iran in a pre-World Cup friendly, playing under Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic.
Ebiede left his hometown team Sharks of Port Harcourt to join SC Eendracht Aalst in the Belgian First Division in 1995.
He first joined SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie in 1997. Later, he spent time in Israel from 2006 to 2008 and the United Arab Emirates from 1999 to 2004. After that, he went back home and played for Sharks and Bayelsa United. 2011 saw his retirement.
