Best Ogedegbe on life support

Nigeria’s goalkeeper during the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations Best Ogedegbe is dying at the Intensive Care section of the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital (UCH) and is breathing only with the aid of a ventilator as at 6.20 pm on Sunday.

NationSport telephone interview with Ogedegbe’s wife from Ibadan was truncated by the woman’s sob only after she had revealed that her husband has been breathing through the ventilator since September 21, after undergoing a surgery on his eye.

But technical committee chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Taiwo Ogunjobi revealed to NationSport that there is the urgent need for well meaning Nigerians like the Lagos State governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi et al to come to the family’s aid because the goalkeeper’s situation is critical.

"Best underwent an eye surgery but has not come out of coma since September 21. He is just lying down on his bed breathing with the aid of the life support machine and with I’m have been told, if the machine is switched off that is the end. This situation is what I want Nigerians to avert.

"I believe if best is taken out of the country, he would be okay. We have commenced prayers and I trust God to keep him alive until help comes urgently.

"I’m at the UCH intensive care and the doctors are just observing him. It is very bad Ade," Ogunjobi said whilst trying to fight back tears. Then the phone went dead as the man wept.