*Pix above: NFL
Nigerian Premier League community is presently in mourning mood as bus of Heartland Football Club, owned by the Imo State Government, has been involved in a ghastly auto crash.
The accident which occurred on Friday claimed the life of head coach and former Nigeria goalkeeper Christian Obi and left many players hospitalised after sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The coach was said to be in front of the Heartland FC bus when it collided with a tipper, with the front of the bus seriously dented.
It was learnt that the team bus was heading for Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital for the Ifeanyi Ekwueme TICO/SELECT Pre-Season Tournament when the accident occurred.
Obi was in charge last season when Heartland FC were relegated.
The coach, aged 57, was a Nigeria youth international goalkeeper who competed in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Friday, the club management said: “the accident happened at Umunna, close to Okigwe still within Imo State.
“The vehicle in its attempt to dodge an oncoming vehicle collided with another carelessly parked vehicle from another accident.(agency)/ ###
