Former National U17 and U20 Nigerian goalkeeper John Felagha dies at age of 26

John Felagha has been reported dead by the Nigerian Football Federation.

The 26-year-old former youth goalkeeper died while on holidays in Senegal.

Felagha quit football three years ago due to serious ankle injury.

Nigerian Football Federation have confirmed the shocking demise of former youth international John Felagha who died in Senegal on Sunday, August 30.

John Felagha's death is another great loss to Nigerian football fraternities considering the numbers of prominent people who have died this year.

The 26-year-old was said to have traveled to Senegal for holidays and was waiting for a flight back to Nigeria before his untimely death.

But the Nigerian Football Federation did not reveal the actual cause of John Felagha's death while confirming his demise on their official social media page.

''Former National U17 and U20 goal keeper John Felagha has died. Felagha died on Sunday in Senegal. He was aged 26. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family,'' NFF explained.

Felagha was among the first set of Nigerians selected for the Aspire Footvall Dreams Project spending five years at the Academy where he excelled.

He was the second choice goalkeeper of the Golden Eaglets at the 2009 FIFA U 17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria where the team lost to Switzerland in the final at Abuja.

Felagha was also in the Flying Eagles team at the Africa Youth Championship and the FIFA U 20 World Cup in 2011.

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported how Nigerian football world were thrown into mourning after the NFF confirmed the death of one of their top officials Abe Tolulope.

Until his death which was announced on Saturday, August 29th, the 48-year-old analyst was the head of NFF's IT/ICT Unit. According to reports, he was said to have died from complications arising from the surgery he previously had.

The country's football governing body said on their official handle: “We @TheNFF are devastated to announce the passing on of our Head of ICT, Mr. Tolulope Abelola on the evening of Saturday, 29th August 2020.