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The death on Tuesday of former Nigerian international, Gideon Njoku, has left members of the Nigerian football community sad.

Njoku’s death comes less than a week after Uche Okafor another Nigerian international died in the United States of America.

“It is truly shocking,” said Segun Odegbami, a former captain of the Green (now Super) Eagles.

“Chief and I were
together recently during the prayer and thanksgiving service organised
for Nigerian sports by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

We left the church
together and I remember him complaining that he didn’t have a job and I
tried to encourage him that something will happen soon,” Odegbami added.

“It just goes to
show that we are not supermen even though the way we carry on as if we
were. I am truly saddened by his death.”

Also reacting to
the death of Njoku, who was pivotal member of Nigeria’s gold medal
winning 1973 All Africa Games squad, Harrison Jalla, President of the
National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) said the former
international’s death was a surprise.

“I am at a loss for
what to say. Until he died I was in constant communication with him.
Even while he was in the village for the Christmas holiday, we still
spoke a few times. His death has really come as a shock to me. Chief
was a gentleman and a very straight forward person and we are really
going to miss him,” Jalla said.

A big blow to Nigerian football

A close friend of
Njoku, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, a lawyer and former member of the Nigeria
Football Federation’s (NFF) Technical Committee, told NEXTSports that
he is shattered by the death of the former Eagle who also had a stint
as coach of defunct ACB FC of Lagos.

“Chief Njoku was
more than just a friend to me. He was like a brother. He was coach of
my Football Academy and we also met from time to time at the All Stars
to which we both belong. When his son called me two days ago that he
had taken ill in his home town, we had advised that he be brought to
Lagos where he was duly admitted in a hospital. When I called yesterday
(Tuesday) and his son responded, I suspected that something was wrong.
His death is truly tragic,” Orumen said.

When contacted
about Njoku’s demise, the NFF through Ademola Olajire, its spokesman,
said his death was a big blow to Nigerian football especially coming so
soon after the death of Okafor.

“The news of his
death is shocking to us. We are pained that the community of
ex-internationals has shrunk further by the death of Chief Njoku.

We share in his family’s pain because his death affects all of us,” Olajire said.

The NFF spokesman
said the federation will play a role in the burial of the late former
footballer and that it has dispatched a letter of condolence to his
family.

Njoku, who was also at one time Team Manager of Enyimba Fc of Aba,
died from cardiac arrest in Lagos on Tuesday at the age of 63 leaving
behind a wife and children.