Issa Hayatou Mourns Death Of Nigerian Player

The Nigerian footballer, David Oniya, 30, died on Saturday, 13th of June 2015, in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.

David Oniya, a midfielder who played particularly in Azerbaijan and Uzbékistan was yet to touch the ball when he collapsed three minutes into a friendly match between his club, T-Team, against Kelantan, in Kota Bharu, Malasia. He was however rushed to the hospital but he was pronounced dead few minutes after.

 The president of Africa's football governing body (CAF) Issa Hayatou reacted to the sad incident.

"This tragic departure on a football field is once more a warning to us and confirms the need for us to support medical research in order to understand and thwart this tendency of sudden death with footballers, some of which play at the high level", the President of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, stated.

"To die on a football field while practicing your profession and doing what you are passionate at is something really afflicting. In these painful moments, my thoughts go firstly to the family of the deceased, his loved ones, his teammates and the Nigerian football community."