Wife delays return of Idahor's body

The body of Endurance Idahor, who died on Saturday while playing for his Sudanese club El-Merriekh against Al-Amal in the Sudanese Premier League, could not be brought into Nigeria on Monday as previously planned. This is because his wife, Sandra, requested a delay of 24 hours to consult with the family on whether or not the late player could be buried in Sudan.

According to reports from Sudan, Idahor's wife, who lives in Dubai, arrived in Khartoum on Sunday with her two sons, aged four years and three months respectively. She was received by the Club President, Jamal Al-Wali, and members of the governing council.

When asked by journalists if she wouldn't mind burying her husband in his adopted country, she answered "I don't mind. Idahor loved Sudan and the Sudanese loved him," but added that she would like to consult the late player's family in Nigeria first before taking the final decision.

Fan reactionProof that the late player was loved in Sudan may be gleaned from a report in a Sudanese news website (www.almshaheer.com), which reported on Monday that an 11-year-old Sudanese boy committed suicide after learning of Idahor's death. The family of the boy reported that their son refused to eat after the news was broken to him and later hung himself on the bathroom ceiling around midnight.

Heart condition

Meanwhile, the same website reported that two days before the match in which he lost his life, Idahor had complained to some of his teammates about feeling pain in the area of his heart. It is not clear whether the matter was brought to the notice of El Merrikh doctors.

NFF, Dolphins mourn

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt, the last club Endurance Idahor played for before moving to Sudan, have joined other football lovers in mourning the 25-year-old player.

In a release by the NFF spokesperson, Demola Olajire, the football federation expressed "shock and sadness at the death of the ex-Nigeria U-23 team player".

In the statement, the federation's General Secretary, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, described the untimely death as an unfortunate development, and said that the NFF is making efforts to get all the details about the cause of death.

Dolphins FC described the late player as "a disciplined player, quiet and serious with his first love, which was football."

Idahor played for Dolphins in 2005, an era generally considered as the golden years of Dolphins FC. In a press release yesterday, the club said, "Most of us at the club still remember a CAF Champions League second round match in Port Harcourt in 2005.

With the games looking to end goal-less, Endurance Idahor, on his own, scored two dying-minute goals to give us a 2-0 cushion going into the second leg. That was the kind of player he was; never giving up at his duty post.

"There has been weeping and wailing in the camp of Dolphins since the news of his death was announced on Saturday and we could not even celebrate our 2-0 win over Shooting Stars."