Former Super Eagles star dies after losing battle with enlarged liver

Former Super Eagles star, Emmanuel Ebiede, has passed away at the age of 45 after suffering from Hepatomegaly, which is the enlargement of the liver.

Ebiede, who played as an attacking midfielder, was a member of the Flying Eagles squad during the African Youth Championship in 1995.

He had three 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 on January 28, 1998.

Soccernet.ng gathers that the former football star passed away on Friday in Port Harcourt at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

Recently, some friends had launched a fundraising campaign for Ebiede’s treatment when news of his condition broke.
Ebiede’s career

Ebiede’s professional football career spanned over a decade and included stints at several clubs, including SC Heerenveen, Al Jazira, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, Al-Wasl, Ashdod, Maccabi Petah Tikva, and Hapoel Bnei Lod.

Born on March 27, 1978, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, Ebiede began his career with Sharks FC before moving to Belgian First Division side SC Eendracht Aalst at the age of 16.

RIP 🇳🇬Emmanuel Ebiede:

• It was delightful watching him, 🇳🇬Henry Onwuzuruike and 🇳🇬Godfrey Nwankpa play for Heenreveen in the Dutch Eredivisie in 1997-99.

He won Carlsberg Cup for Nigeria in Hong Kong in 1998, making his Super Eagles debut against Iran. pic.twitter.com/9xES8pJdup

— FAST TRACK 🇳🇬 (@FastTrackNaija) April 14, 2023

In 1997, he joined SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie and later played in the Israeli leagues. Ebiede’s career highlights included winning the Carlsberg Cup for Nigeria in Hong Kong in 1998.

The news of Ebiede’s death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow footballers on social media, with many praising his skills on the field and his contributions to Nigerian football.