Tragic Story of Talented Nigerian Footballer Who Died on Day He Was to Fly to Join European Club

• Kelechi Okafor was destined to make his way to Europe to play in Azerbaijan but lost his life on the training ground
• The 21-year-old decided to have one last training session with his team Lion Heart academy when he met his death
• The youngster was believed to have hit his head on the ground while he contested for an aerial ball with another player

Tragedy struck on the morning of Tuesday, August 10, 2021, as 21-year-old Kelechi Okafor lost his life during a training session.

The Lion Heart academy star was billed to travel to Azerbaijan on the night the tragic incident occurred as all his travel documents were in place to travel on that same day.

It is understood that Okafor was involved in an aerial collision with another player and went crashing to the ground.

All efforts to revive him on the pitch by his coaches were futile and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.

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Okafor's teammate testimony

One of his teammates, who spoke with Vanguard said:

“The incident happened on the very day Kelechi and three others were supposed to travel to Europe. We had gone for training that day. He went for an aerial battle. On his way down, he lost balance and hit his head on the ground.

"Immediately, the coaches administered first aid on him, trying to revive him. When it didn’t yield any result, they rushed him to the hospital. But he died on the way.”

On his part, Kelechi's brother, Uche, explained the footballer's death had left the family devastated - especially the parents.

“It’s unfortunate that Kelechi died on the same day he was supposed to travel, his flight ticket had been purchased, the flight was scheduled for 8:45pm and he died before noon," he divulged.

Kelechi is the last born in our family. Our parents are alive and they are devastated by the news," he added.

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Ex-defender dies after 39-year coma

Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported curtains have fallen on French footballer Jean-Pierre Adams who has been in a coma for 39 years.

Adams slipped into a deep coma in 1982 after an anaesthesia error while undergoing routine knee surgery at a French hospital.

Mirror UK reports the footballer was confirmed dead on Monday, September 6, at the Nimes University Hospital aged 73.

During his active playing days, the Senegalese-born defender turned out for a number of French clubs, including Nice and Paris Saint-Germain.