… Gave N20 million to the deceased family
By Alexander Johnson Adejoh
Players of Enugu Rangers last Friday stopped over to pray for their late colleague, Ifeanyi George, at a spot along Asaba-Benin Highway where he died in a car accident in March, last year.
The players who were travelling to Lagos for Sunday’s premiership clash with MFM F.C. stopped on their way to pay the last respect to their late teammate.
Fides recalls that 26-year-old George died when his car bumped into a stationary truck.
He was said to be on his way to his Lagos home from Enugu after the league was suspended because of COVID-19.
Two of his teammates, who were with him, were also said to have lost their lives in the ill-fated trip.
‘It was such a touching moment for the players to honour their late colleague,’ the spokesperson for the club, Okolie Norbert told newsmen from Agege Stadium where the team was training for their Sunday match.
The 21 players and the club officials observed a minute silence in honour of the late George, and afterwards the team manager, Amobi Ezeaku, led them in a brief prayer for the deceased.
Ezeaku said, ‘We have a way of respecting our players, we have a way of respecting our legends, we have a way of respecting those that are living and those that have gone. Ifeanyi remains in our hearts and he will remain in our hearts forever,’.
We stopped over at the spot (Evbobanosa) junction along Asaba-Benin road where our late attacking sensation, Ifeanyi George, breathed his last just few days to mark the first anniversary of his death to observe a minute silence with prayers for the repose of his soul on our way to Lagos.
He noted that, that was the spirit of Rangers.
‘It was an emotional one, we were so down, but it was a good thing we did that. Ifeanyi George will continue to live in our hearts,’ one of the players, Chiamaka Madu, said.
Madu said the honour done to the late George would help strengthen and unify the team.
Rangers gave N20 million to the family of the late footballer late last year, the club spokesperson said.
‘MFM F.C has always been a tough team to play against home and away but we are in Lagos this time to finish what we started last season when we missed an opportunity to take all three points at stake,’ Rangers player, Ugwuoke Ugochukwu, said of their match with MFM F.C.
Rangers occupy second position on the league table, while MFM F.C are seventh.
