The President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, is deeply saddened by the passing of former Nigerian International, Michael Eneramo.
Eneramo collapsed and died on the pitch in Ungwan Yelwa, Kaduna on Friday morning, during a local friendly game in which he had played the entire first half.
Early reports indicated that Eneramo appeared to have suffered cardiac arrest five minutes into the second half of the said friendly match. He was born on 26th November, 1985 in Kaduna.
On behalf of CAF and its 54 Member Associations, Dr Motsepe conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and its President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, to the Family of Michael Eneramo and to the People of Nigeria.
Eneramo played for Lobi Stars in Nigeria, Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Turkish Club, Besiktas.
His debut for Nigeria was against Jamaica in a friendly match in London on 11th February 2009, which ended goalless. In his second game, also a friendly, he scored his first goal for Nigeria against the Republic of Ireland in a 1-1 draw in London on 29th May 2009.
He also played against France in Nigeria’s 1-0 win in Saint Etienne four days later. Five days later, he featured in Nigeria’s 3-0 win over Kenya in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Abuja.
Eneramo also played the home-and-away ties with Tunisia (0-0 in Tunis and 2-2 in Abuja) in the same race. It was in the home game against Tunisia in Abuja on 6th September 2009 that he scored his most memorable goal for the Super Eagles.
Nicknamed Al Dababa (The Tank) by fans of Tunisian and African giants Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Eneramo was much-loved in the North African country for his confident play, which earned Esperance a number of silverwares.
He also featured for top clubs Besiktas, Sivasspor and Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey.
