IMMEMORIAL
From Adams to Zagallo, the A to Z of sports personalities lost in 2024
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
In a few moments, the year 2024 will have rolled off. Welcome 2025! Yet the outgoing year saw the end of some notable personalities in the world, especially in Nigeria.
Those key figures left lasting impacts on their sports. Here are sports legends and trailblazers the world lost in 2024.
January 3: The first Nigerian to lead a team to win global football glory, Sebastian Broderick-Imasuen, died aged 86. He led the Golden Eaglets to the milestone win of the inaugural U16 World Cup in China.
The late coach was one of the players who represented the Nigerian football team at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968 and famously scored from a free kick to win the then Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance in 1972.
As a coach, he was the head of a three-man crew that included Bala Shamaki and Christian Chukwu when the Nigerian team shocked the world in China in 1985.
He led the team again in 1987 to Canada and got to the final before losing through a penalty shoot-out to the then-Soviet Union.
On the third attempt in the competition, his team lost to Saudi Arabia by penalty kick in the quarterfinals.
At another time, he was the assistant to Clemens Westerhof in the Super Eagles.
He began his football career in 1956 when as a student, he featured for the Onitsha team in the Challenge Cup.
In 1962, he joined the then ECN and was part of the Challenge Cup-winning side of 1965. He was invited to the national team in 1962 but only became a regular in the build-up to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.
He was noted for his curving shots, especially from free-kick situations.
Popularly called ‘Sabara’, his biggest moment as a club player was when he scored the winning goal in the 3-2 victory for Bendel Insurance in the replay of the 1972 Challenge Cup with Mighty Jets of Jos at the Liberty Stadium – the first time the national cup final was held outside Lagos.
He later became a coach and handled the Midwest junior side to win the gold medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1973.
January 5: Brazil’s Mário Zagallo who held the record for World Cup titles in general with four titles in total and the record for World Cup finals with six participations died, aged 92. He featured for Brazil in 1958, and 1962 and was also the manager at the 1970 edition.
Mario Zagallo, Brazil’s four-time World Cup winner
January 7: Global football icon, Franz Beckenbauer died, aged 78. He won the World Cup both as a player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easy-going charm.
Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup both as a player and coach for Germany
February 7: Renowned Nigerian sports journalist, archivist, and analyst Kayode Tijani passed on. He reportedly died this Wednesday evening at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after a protracted illness. He had been ill since returning from the Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
February 7: Former Super Falcons; coach, Godwin Izilein, who led the team to victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 died in Benin City, aged 81.
He was reported to be battling with “battling abdominal issues.”
February 11: Kenya’s marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum died aged 34. He exploded onto the marathon scene in October 2023 when he ran a scintillating two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago, taking 34 seconds off fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s previous world record.
The death of the 24-year-old, who was driving in western Kenya in February when his car rolled over, left the athletics world in shock. Kiptum was expected to be one of the track superstars of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
April 10: A former American Hall of Fame NFL football star and actor turned celebrity murder defendant, O.J. Simpson died at 76. Nicknamed “The Juice”, Simpson was one of the best and most popular American athletes of the late 1960s and 70s.
May 5: Argentina’s World Cup-winning coach of 1978, César Luis Menotti, died from anaemia. He was aged 85. He led Argentina to the first of their three World Cup titles.
July 16: A pall of darkness again fell on Nigeria’s sports sector as a sports administrator, Ekene Adams, passed on. He aged 39. He was the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports. Before that, he was the General Manager of the Nigerian Premier League side, Remo Stars before going into politics and winning a seat in the Federal House of Representatives representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Kaduna State.
A former football player, Adams served as the general manager of Remo Stars as well as Kada City before he won a seat in the House of Representatives during the 2023 general elections. His sports background earned him the role of the reps committee chairman on sports despite being a first timer in the green chamber.
July 25: Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu who in 1984 acquired state-owned Spartans FC Owerri and renamed it Iwuanyanwu Nationale died aged 81. The club has since 2006 reverted to the Imo State Government and renamed Heartland FC.
July 27: The owner of the now defunct FC IfeanyiUbah, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, an oil mogul died aged 53. He was a federal lawmaker representing Anambra South Senatorial District.
The lawmaker died in a London hospital. He acquired the former Gabros Club and renamed it after himself as FC IfeanyiUbah. He was elected Senator in 2019 on the platform of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, and re-elected on that platform in 2023.
August 8: Former CAF president Issa Hayatou died 160 days after initial reports and a day before his 78th birthday. Sports Village Square reported that his death was initially rumoured 160 days ago on 1 March.
The Cameroonian was a long-serving president of CAF for 29 years from 1988 until his surprise ouster in 2017.
He also served as acting FIFA president from 2015 to 2016 after Sepp Blatter was suspended by world football’s governing body.
Hayatou, whose brother was the prime minister of Cameroon, was a lifelong sports administrator. He was an International Olympic Committee member from 2001-2016, after which he became an honorary member.
August 26: Nigeria’s first Olympic Games medallist, Nojim Maiyegun, died in Austria.Known to be virtually impaired for years, he has reportedly been in and out of hospital in the previous six months before his death. Maiyegun’s death came just a few days after the 60th anniversary of his feat when he won a bronze medal in boxing on 10 August 1964 at the Olympics in Tokyo.
He shared the bronze medal with Józef Grzesiak of Poland in the Light middleweight category. At the Olympics, the two losers in the semifinals are traditionally awarded the bronze medal, as there is no third-place bout. It was the first time since Helsinki 1952 that Nigeria won a medal. He thus ended Nigeria’s 12-year winless streak at the Olympics.
August 26: The long battle against terminal pancreatic cancer finally came to an end for former England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson who passed away aged 76.
The popular Swede who was in line to manage Nigeria’s Super Eagles to the 2010 World Cup before he was upstaged by compatriot,Lars Lagerbäck passed away following a successful career in the football industry which included stints with England, Manchester City and Leicester City.
Earlier this year, he announced his imminent death, saying that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had a year to live in a “best-case scenario”.
The announcement was January this year and eight months down the line, he was no more. His football career spanned eight different countries.
He was in charge of England for 67 matches including the World Cup tie with Nigeria which ended goalless in 2002.
August 31: Ivorian soccer centre-back, Sol Bamba, (46 caps; Hibernian, Leicester City, Leeds United, Cardiff City), died from cancer at 39
September 5: Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, Rebeccaa Cheptegei, 33, died of her injuries after being set alight by her boyfriend.
October 6: The Fastest World Cup final match scorer, Johan Neeskens died, aged 73. He achieved the goal feat in the 1974 final match when he converted a penalty kick for The Netherlands against West Germany after 90 seconds of kick-off.
At the time, no West German player had even touched the ball! Neeskens was a midfielder and was considered one of the best of his generation.
October 13: The life-saving efforts for former Nigerian international goalkeeper, Peter Fregene, ended this day. He was aged 77, when he died surrounded by his wife and two of his children.
Fregene, was a member of the Nigerian team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.
He last played for Nigeria on 13 March 1982 when Nigeria lost 3-0 to Zambia in a Group B AFCON match in Benghazi.
For years, he had been battling with illness and spent the last week on life-support.
November 20: Nigerian sports journalist, Dapo Sotuminu a celebrated Nigerian sports journalist whose illustrious career spanned several decades died after a brief illness, leaving behind a profound legacy.
His contributions were deeply mourned by the Lagos State Government, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Family United by Sports and the Lagos State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), who recognized his instrumental role in the growth and promotion of sports journalism and development in Nigeria.
His life was marked by resilience, passion, and a commitment to excellence, making him a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of sports journalists. His impact will remain indelible in the annals of Nigerian sports journalism.
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The legendary German footballer, regarded as one of the greatest players in the world, who passed away earlier this year, will be remembered forever with the honour of having his name given to one of the streets next to the Bayern Munich stadium where the midfielder spent 13 years of his career.
The street is currently called Werner-Heisenberg-Allee and is located next to the Bayern Munich stadium. The change, which is expected to become official at the beginning of the year, means that the stadium – which will host the Champions League final in May 2025 – will officially be located at Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5, the midfielder’s shirt number.
The news was announced by Munich City Council last Thursday and the process of implementing the change is already underway. The aim is to complete the process by 7 January. This will coincide with the anniversary of the unforgettable footballer’s death at the age of 78.
“The naming of a street is the highest honour the city of Munich can bestow posthumously, and it is a sign of the deep respect and esteem we have for Franz Beckenbauer,” said Mayor Dieter Reiter in a statement.
“He left a lasting mark on Germany’s sporting landscape with his sporting successes and his commitment to football. His calm, humorous character and his way of expressing himself will always be part of Munich’s way of life,” Reiter added.
Beckenbauer was nicknamed ‘The Emperor’ for his dominant style on the pitch. He became one of the most important footballers of his time with his effortless, skilful play, excellent ball control and remarkable technical ability.
He was a leader on the pitch as well as in the dressing room, serving as captain of both Bayern Munich and the German national team.
Beckenbauer won it all. He achieved everything in the world of football and his personality earned him the respect of everyone in the game. He is one of the few players to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager. He has also won the European Championship and the Ballon d’Or, arguably the highest accolade a footballer can achieve.
At the 1974 World Cup, which he won as a player, he was at the helm of one of the best German teams ever to play effective football. Because of its superiority and strict discipline, the German national team was from then on nicknamed “The Steamroller”.
Meanwhile, the World Cup he won as coach in 1990 will always be remembered forthe final in which Germany defeated Maradona’s Argentina in Italy. The Argentine legend, who was an idol of the team, was reduced to tears as the Germans lifted the trophy.
During his 13 years with Bayern, the Munich-born midfielder won three European Cups and four Bundesliga titles. He later added another league title with Hamburg, his other German club, in 1981-82, but his heart always belonged to Bayern. He finished his career with the New York Cosmos in the United States.
Beckenbauer will also be honoured with a statue outside the stadium. He will sit alongside his Bayern and Germany team-mate Gerd Müller, two legends of German and world football.
A trial of eight health workers charged with “homicide by negligence” over the death of Diego Maradona has been postponed from October until March, Argentine media reported on Thursday.
A court in San Isidro, a town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, granted the request of three of the eight defendants to postpone for a second time the trial, originally scheduled for June 4 and due to start on Oct. 1.
The process will now begin on March 11, the Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported.
The footballing great, who led Argentina to a second World Cup title in 1986, died aged 60 in November 2020 from heart failure after undergoing brain surgery days earlier.
Among those charged in the death of the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player are his neurosurgeon, psychologist, psychiatrist and nurses, who could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.
-Reuters
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Like Nigeria’s midfielder, Samuel Okwaraji who collapsed and died on the pitch on a 12 day date in August 1989, another tragedy was averted on another 12 day date in June 2021 in the Euro 2020 football championship when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed in a match with Finland.
Uefa said Eriksen, who was given CPR by medics on the pitch, was transferred to hospital where the 29-year-old was stabilised, with officials saying he was conscious.
Following is a list of players who have collapsed on the pitch during a match.
Samuel Okwaraji – Nigeria
The Nigerian midfielder collapsed and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute of a World Cup qualification match against Angola at the Lagos National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State on 12 August 1989.
David Omofeye aka ‘Idi’ – Nigeria
Daily Times account of death and burial of David Omofeye in 1954.
The Nigerian striker who just missed the cut in the selection of the first national team in 1949 and player of the ‘Old Reliables’ Railway football club of Lagos, slumped and died at the present day Mobolaji Arena, Onikan Lagos during a 6 May 1954 first division match of Railway and Marine. He is the first recorded death on a Nigerian pitch.
Amir Angwe – Nigeria
Efforts to revive Angwe on the field failed.
Playing for Julius Berger against Maxaquine of Mozambique in the African Winners Cup, The Benue State born footballer slumped and died on the turf of Onikan Stadium on 29 October 1995.
Tunde Charity Ikhidero – Nigeria
The member of the 1989 set of Nigerian Flying Eagles died in the hospital following head injury sustained in a league match involving his club, Insurance and Niger Tornadoes in Benin on September 6, 1997.
Endurance Idahor – Nigeria
The former Julius Berger and Dolphin striker, playing for Al Merreikh of Sudan, collapsed and died in Omdurman while playing against Amal Atbara on 6 March 2010.
Fabrice Muamba -England
The Bolton Wanderers midfielder collapsed on the pitch in an FA Cup match in 2012 due to a cardiac arrest and was technically “dead” for 78 minutes before he was revived. The former England under-21 midfielder had to retire soon after at the age of 24.
Bafetimbi Gomis -France
The French striker has collapsed several times on the pitch due to a medical condition which causes him to faint. He has collapsed playing for Swansea City, Galatasaray and Al-Hilal.
Marc-Vivien Foe -Cameroon
The Cameroon midfielder collapsed during a Confederations Cup match in 2003. Medical staff attempted to resuscitate the 28-year-old on the pitch before taking him off on a stretcher.
However, they failed in their attempts to restart his heart and he was pronounced dead.
Antonio Puerta -Spain
The Sevilla midfielder collapsed while jogging back in the first game of the 2007-08 La Liga season against Getafe and, though he walked off the pitch after being helped by medical staff, he collapsed again in the dressing room.
Puerta, a Spain international, was rushed to hospital, where he died three days later of “multiple organ failure” due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 22.
Cheick Tiote – Cote d’Ivoire
Four months after leaving Newcastle United, the midfielder fainted during a training session with Chinese club Beijing Enterprises. The 30-year-old Ivorian died in hospital.
Miklos Feher -Hungary
The Hungary striker was playing for Portuguese side Benfica against Vitoria Guimaraes in January 2004 when he keeled over in pain before falling backwards onto the pitch after a heart attack.
Medics attempted to resuscitate the unconscious 24-year-old before he was taken off on a stretcher and rushed to hospital. Doctors tried to revive him for nearly 90 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
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