20110107
africanews

Media reports from the US state that former Nigeria international, Uche Okafor, was found dead at his Dallas, Texas home in the United States of America (USA) early Thursday. Ben Iroha, a former Nigerian team-mate of Uche between 1990 and 1994, told SuperSport.com that he received the shock news via a telephone conversation that the 43-year-old has died.

"Seriously I still find it hard to believe when I got the call from the US yesterday (Thursday) evening. This is a really sad way to begin the year,” said Iroha.

Iroha added that he is yet to know what really transpired up to the death of his former teammate. “I am yet to know what happened. But I feel so sad to hear this because he was a very marvelous friend and brother,” said the former Heartland assistant coach.

However, there are still no details concerning surrounding the death of the former winner of the Africa Cup of Nations. The former Nigerian footballer was said to have taken his daughter to school early Thursday and was later found dead in his US home.

The police in the United States are said to have cordoned off the home of Okafor, as a coroner is carrying out an inquest into circumstance surrounding his death.

Okafor’s professional career began at defunct ACB of Lagos before he moved to KRC Mechelen.

The late Nigerian player has also played for Hannover 96 before ending his career at Sporting Kansas City, formerly known as Kansas City Wizards.

Late Okafor also featured in one of the four matches of Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the 1994 Fifa World Cup in the USA. He was also a football pundit on African football for ESPN until his death.