THE Heartland Football Club has confirmed the death of team coach Christian Obi in a road accident.
The club in a statement on X posted on Saturday, August 24 said Obi died on Friday, August 23 from a collision en route to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on his way to participate in the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament.
The statement partly read, “The heartbreaking day saw the Heartland FC team departing the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri for the preseason Tournament with enthusiasm at around 3:30 pm in three vehicles but at about some minutes after p.m., one of the vehicles rammed into a carelessly parked truck in its attempt to evade an oncoming vehicle.
“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.”
The club said 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, he gave up the ghost.
The club added that the news of Obi’s death had thrown everyone into deep mourning, as he was extremely precious to the club.
They said that his name would always be remembered in the club’s history, particularly for the unbeaten run in the Nigeria National League throughout the 2022-23 season, which led to the club winning the NNL Super 8 in Asaba.
The club also expressed appreciation for the concerns shown by many Nigerians but requested that its privacy, as well as that of Coach Obi’s family, be respected during this difficult period.
Furthermore, they announced that they would not be making any further statements on the issue for the time being.
As at the moment, Coach Obi’s remains had been taken to the morgue at the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH) in Owerri, while the injured individuals had been transferred to the same hospital to receive further treatment and proper care.
Meanwhile, a rival club Enyimba FC has condoled Heartland FC over the death of Obi.
In a message on X, the Aba, Abia state club said it is deeply saddened to hear about the accident involving Heartland FC of Owerri.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Heartland FC family, particularly those affected by this incident,” the club tweeted.
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