By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
THE pulsating semi-final match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa has further claimed its fifth victim.
Stonix News gathered that a sales representative, Mikail Osundiji, a supposed worker at Nestle Plc, reportedly slumped and died on Wednesday evening during the AFCON semi-finals
The incident occurred in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The 43-year-old is suspected to have had a heavy shock after the referee nullified Nigeria’s second goal against South Africa, scored by Victor Osimhen.
A sales representative with the company, Akinbami Michael, confirmed the development to The Punch correspondent.
Michael said, “Yes, it is true, we lost Mikail Osundiji on Wednesday night while watching Nigeria and South Africa AFCON semi finals match.
“He must have died out of shock. He is from Okuku in Osun State. The viewing centre where he died was beside his house.
“He was buried on Thursday afternoon around 2:00p.m being a Muslim. He was so much in love with anything Nigeria.
“He always told us that even if he’s given N50m, he won’t leave Nigeria for any other country. Mikail was such like that..”
It was gathered that the late Osun State-born Osundiji, a father-of-two, did not show any sign of sickness prior to when he showed up at the football viewing centre located at the Federal Housing Estate, Olomoore axis of Abeokuta metropolis to watch the match.
An elder sister to the deceased, Mrs. Adetunji Nofisat, who spoke to journalists, explained that Osundiji suddenly breathed out heavily after the cancellation of Nigeria’s second goal, lowered his head and consequently fell to the ground at the football viewing centre.
“That was when other people at the football viewing centre rushed to him and took him to one of the private hospitals in Olomoore before the doctor on duty pronounced him dead,” she said.
She added that the deceased was buried on Thursday afternoon according to the Islamic rites, explaining that “we cannot take his corpse to Okuku in Osun State because he still has a father, mother and two children who are of 12 and seven years of age.”
She appealed to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun to come to the assistance of the family, particularly through scholarships to enable the children left behind by the deceased to complete their education, up to the university level.
The demise of Osundiji drags the number of Nigerians who reportedly passed during the breath-taking match to five.
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