Ailing former Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Ebiede, is dead. 47-year-old ex-international, was diagnosed with Hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver), a fortnight ago, and was rushed to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, by his club members after he fell ill.
Africa Update reports that this sad development is coming despite efforts by his friends to provide medical assistance. A UK-based friend identified as David Doherty had raised over N700,000 from donors for Ebiede’s medical bills, with Doherty himself donating N100,000.
Ebiede’s protruding stomach had caused a stir online when pictures of the ex-international surfaced.
Friends and well wishers have gone to social media to mourn Ebiede who was a member of the Flying Eagles squad at the African Youth Championship on home soil in 1995.
He 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 January 28, 1998.
At club level, Ebiede joined Belgian First Division side SC Eendracht Aalst from boyhood club Sharks of Port Harcourt in 1995.
In 1997 he moved to SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, before further spells in the United Arab Emirates (1999-2004) and Israel (2006-2008). He then returned home to feature for Bayelsa United and Sharks. He retired in 2011.
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