On the 12th of August, 1989, while he was playing for Nigeria in a 2nd round World Cup Qualifier match (Group C, Italia World Cup) against Angola, Samuel Okwaraji slumped on the pitch and died immediately.
It was 77 minutes into the match. Right there, in front of 20,000 Nigerians at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, the Green Eagles were thrown into disarray while the Palancas Negras of Angola forgot the competition and joined in the futile attempts to revive him.
His body was then taken to the National Stadium Clinic where he was covered up, and from there to the General Hospital. The thousands of Nigerians who came to cheer him to glory left the stadium under a dark cloud of grief. Many would never forget that ominous day. It was just about 10 minutes to the final whistle. Okwaraji was 25. Autopsy revealed he died from high blood pressure-induced congestive heart failure (which occurs when the heart is unable to provide sufficient pump action to ensure enough blood goes round the body).
His heart was discovered to be enlarged-not a good sign in medicine. Okwaraji literally played his heart out for Nigeria.
He had just signed a $500,000 contract with Berchem FC of Antwerp, Belgium.
The Green Eagles on that day, apart from Okwaraji, were:
-David Ngodigha
-Augustine Eguavoen
-Stephen Keshi
-Sunday Eboigbe
-Obobaifo Osaro (now of blessed memory)
-Ademola Adesina
-Uchenna Okafor (now of blessed memory)
-Humphrey Edobor
-Samson Siasia
-Etim Esim
-Dahiru Sadi (substituted Edobor in the second half) Nigeria won the match: 1-0.
But we lost the gallant Okwaraji. Forever.
Rest in Peace.
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