Ex-Nigeria international Emmanuel Ebiede has died in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital from Hepatomegaly also known as enlargement of the liver.
The 47-year-old died around 4pm on Friday at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, said David Doherty, a former NFF president hopeful.
“I just spoke with the daughter who confirmed to me that Emmanuel is dead,” Doherty told The PUNCH.
“I’m very sad as we speak. This was someone whom I spoke with two days ago to know how he was faring.
Doherty, who is based in the UK, had opened an account for donors to assist the ailing Ebiede. Rivers State Government was among those that came to his aid.
Ebiede’s sister Joy had earlier said he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B.
Ebiede had two caps for the Super Eagles, making his debut under Serbian Bora Milutinovic in the 1-0 win over Iran in a pre-1998 World Cup friendly against Iran on January 28, 1998.
He starred for his boyhood club Sharks of Port Harcourt, Belgian side SC Eendracht Aalst, SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, and Bayelsa United. He also had spells in the United Arab Emirates and Israel, retiring in 2011.
He is survived by a wife and three children – two in Nigeria and one in Holland.
The former midfielder was a member of the Flying Eagles squad at the African Youth Championship on home soil in 1995.
