BY SAB OSUJI

The remains of Nigeria defender, Ikenna Eneh, who passed on in the early hours of Wednesday in Durban, South Africa, will undergo autopsy on Thursday, 18 July, 2024, Exclusivenews.com.ng reports.

Eneh was alleged to have suffered heart failure failure and was declared death on reaching the hospital.

The 44-yeae-old former Rangers left-back was a key member of the Nigeria U20s that featured in the FIFA U20 World Youth Championship tagged 'Nigeria '99.

Like every other player, Eneh went for the greener pastures in South Africa's Premier Soccer League, PSL. After his career was cut short by injury, Eneh turned to coaching in South Africa where he handles black players in the country, especially during weekends.

Exclusivenews.com.ng understands that Eneh married a South African lady who had four children for him before she allegedly walked out of the union.

The Nigerian was said to have remarried, this time a South African-Indian who also has a kid for him before she allegedly had a miscarriage two days before Eneh's death.

Eneh's childhood friend who also lives in Durban, South Africa, confirmed that hospital authorities said that an autopsy would be conducted on Thursday 18, July, before the corpse would be deposited in the mortuary.

It was further gathered that on Tuesday night, the defender came back home, pecked his small kid and went to bed, screaming, which drew the attention of his wife.

"He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced 'already dead' by the doctors on arrival at the hospital.

Eneh's childhood friend, amongst other Nigerians in South Africa, are making frantic efforts on what next to do after the autopsy especially towards ensuring that his children were brought home as well.

Eneh hails from Udi, Enugu State in a family of three, two boys and a girl. His father , his sister and brother were said to have died before now and with the ex Rangers and ex Flying Eagles defender now dead, only the mother is said to be alive.

"The problem now is how to communicate the mother on the death of her only surviving son, Ikenna", his childhood friend told Exclusivenews.com.ng from Durban, South Africa.

On December 30, 2009, when Super Eagles then led by (now late) Shaibu Amodu, went on 2010 pre  AFCON Camping in Durban, Eneh was at the head of an 'Ogene Group' that were at the Madiba Airport, Durban, to welcome the Super Eagles.