It was a sad day for Nigerian football as former Super Eagles forward, Michael Eneramo, reportedly slumped and died during a local football match in Kaduna on Friday morning.
According to reports, Eneramo suffered a suspected cardiac arrest while participating in a friendly game in Ungwan Yelwa, Kaduna State.
The incident occurred in the second half of the match. He was said to have completed the first half without any visible signs of health issues before suddenly collapsing about five minutes into the second half.
The late striker, born on 26 November 1985 in Kaduna, was immediately attended to on the pitch by medical personnel and teammates, but all efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) through its General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, has expressed deep shock over the tragic incident, saying “This is devastating. I am short of words at this moment. I can only pray that God will grant him eternal rest and also grant his loved ones and the Nigeria football family the fortitude to bear the loss”.
During his playing career, Eneramo was highly respected in Tunisia and Turkey, where he enjoyed successful spells at club level. He earned 10 caps for the Super Eagles after opting to represent Nigeria, despite earlier interest from Tunisia.
He made his international debut against Jamaica in a friendly match in London on 11 February 2009, which ended goalless. In his second appearance, he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw against the Republic of Ireland on 29 May 2009, also in London, and later featured in Nigeria’s 1–0 win over France in Saint-Étienne.
Nicknamed “Al Dababa” (The Tank) by fans of Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Eneramo was widely admired in Tunisia for his strength and consistency, helping the club to several domestic successes. He also played for top Turkish sides including Beşiktaş, Sivasspor, and İstanbul Başakşehir.
