By Our Reporter
Former player Gift Atulewa has died aged 38, reportedly due to high blood pressure, leaving the Nigerian football community in mourning.
His death comes just a month after the reported passing away of his wife, a tragedy which is also said to have potentially ‘contributed’ to aggravating his health issues.
Atulewa was part of the Nigerian side which reached the final of the 2005 Under-20s FIFA World Youth Championship and is the third player from that side to pass away young.
He had recently travelled to the Ivory Coast to undertake a coaching course but contracted malaria before dying because of his high blood pressure, it is claimed.
‘We just buried the wife last month, that may have contributed to this development,’ a spokeperson for the Delta State Football Association in Nigeria told the Premium Times on Tuesday.
It is claimed he died of high pressure after completing a coaching course in Ivory Coast
‘He has blood pressure issues but he had been managing it.
‘The day before yesterday, the condition became bad and he was taken to the hospital.
‘They noticed he had malaria but aside from that, the blood pressure kept going up. We lost him this morning (Tuesday) by 7am.
‘As we are speaking, there is an ex-international football tournament going on in Delta State – he is part of the ex-Uwei where he comes from, he is part of their team.
‘He scored the first goal of the tournament from a wonderful free kick that he is known for, he scored that goal like three weeks ago when the competition began.’
He is the third member of his successful 2005 Nigeria Under-20s team to die prematurely.
Ex-team-mate Olufemi Adebayo died aged 25 after a car accident in Greece in 2011 while Isaac Promise, who represented the senior team three times, lost his life to a heart attack aged 31 in 2019.
Atulewa spent his club career playing in his homeland for Bayelsa United, Ocean Boys, and Warri Warriors.
‘I was heartbroken to hear of Gift Atulewa’s passing on November 12 at just 38, reportedly due to high blood pressure,’ said Nigerian journalist Shina Oludare.
‘Gift was part of Nigeria’s silver-winning squad at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but sadly, his career never fully recovered after that. May his soul rest in peace, and may God comfort his family in this difficult time.
‘Oh! Gift Atulewa. This is sad,’ said another user on X.
@Mail Online Sports.