Katsina United player Ozoh Chinedu passes away during match

Ozoh Chinedu [Credit: Katsina United/Facebook]

Katsina United Football Club has announced the death of their player, Ozoh Chinedu. He died during a pre-season friendly match on Tuesday.

Ozoh was playing in a friendly against Niger Tornadoes FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.

He joined Katsina United FC after moving from Kano Pillars FC, another club in Northern Nigeria.

The club shared the sad news in a statement titled ‘Sad news: Katsina United player Ozoh Chinedu dies during pre-season friendly’ on their Facebook page.

During the match, Ozoh experienced a medical emergency and was quickly taken to a specialist hospital.

“The football community in Katsina State and beyond has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Ozoh, a newly signed player of Katsina United Football Club and former Kano Pillars FC player.

“Ozoh reportedly passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after he was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital in Katsina following a medical emergency during a friendly match involving Katsina United and Niger Tornadoes FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina.

“According to reports, the incident happened while both teams were playing in the pre-season friendly as they prepared for the upcoming football season.

“The player was immediately attended to and taken to the nearby K-Dara Specialist Hospital for urgent medical help. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, Ozoh Chinedu sadly passed away,” the statement partly said.

The club expressed that Ozoh’s death shocked the entire football community. This was especially hard as he was gearing up for the new football season. The exact cause of his death is still unclear.

The statement added, “His death has come as a major shock to his teammates, coaching crew, club management, supporters, and the wider football community. This is particularly hard as he had just joined Katsina United and was preparing for the new season.

“Ozoh was previously part of Kano Pillars FC before moving to Katsina United, where he was expected to help in their campaign for the upcoming season.

“The exact circumstances surrounding his sudden death are not fully known yet. More details are expected from the club, medical authorities, or his family. The football community in Katsina and across Nigeria is now mourning the loss of a young player whose career ended too soon.”

The club also prayed for the family to find strength in this tough time, saying, “May God grant his family, teammates, friends, Katsina United FC, and the entire football community the strength to bear this painful loss.”