In a thoughtful recommendation, Mr. Remi Omowaiye, who once served as the Commissioner for Works in Osun State, implored those battling hypertension to skip the final match of the African Cup of Nations scheduled for this Sunday.
Omowaiye, in a statement obtained in Osogbo, brought attention to the gravity of this warning, citing distressing accounts of football fans losing their lives from shock during the Super Eagles’ triumphant semi-final battle against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on Wednesday.
He implored the Nigeria Football Federation to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the match, underscoring the significance of honoring the departed, even in their untimely demise.
Confessing to a brief bout of nerves during a late-game penalty against Nigeria, the ex-commissioner shared his plan to abstain from watching the final live, opting to catch the replay after the match ends.
The statement read in part, ‘The Super Eagles of Nigeria should mourn those who died while watching the semi-final match on Wednesday. I want to advise Nigerians in their interest, especially those managing hypertension.’
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‘They should not watch the final match on Sunday. They better wait till the game ends and watch the replay. The way I felt particularly when a penalty was awarded against Nigeria during the semi-final match, I had never felt like that in my whole life. I was shivering.’
‘Even after the match, I was still shivering. I advise Nigerians managing hypertension to avoid watching the final match. NFF needs to mourn people who died as a result of shock during the semi-final match.’
‘A leader of APC in Delta State, Dr Cairo, passed out during the match, and a notable Nigerian businessman operating in Cote D’Ivoire also died. The Deputy Bursar of a university in Kwara State also passed out.’
‘It was also reported that a Corps member in Kaduna also slumped and died during the match. Those are the ones reported. There may be several other unreported cases.’
The grand finale of the Nations Cup is set for Sunday as Nigeria and host nation Cote D’Ivoire gear up to clash, both emerging victorious in their semi-final battles against South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.