Rita Odafe
An early Sunday morning road mishap involved a bus carrying players and staff from Abakaliki Football Club as they returned from Lagos State, as reported by SaharaReporters.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries.
This incident took place shortly after the team competed in the President’s Federation Cup final at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, where they narrowly lost to Kwara United in a penalty shootout.
Team sources confirmed the accident, noting its resemblance to a recent mishap involving travelers from Kano.
“It reminded us of what happened to the Kano travelers a few weeks back. State governors attended the match on Saturday,” a source shared with SaharaReporters on Sunday.
Abakaliki FC had journeyed to Lagos for the much-anticipated cup final, which garnered nationwide attention, even drawing several state governors to the event.
Despite an impressive performance, the team was unable to clinch victory in the final moments of the match.
This incident adds to a troubling trend of road accidents involving Nigerian football teams, raising serious concerns about the safety of long-distance travel for major games.
While Abakaliki FC representatives have not issued an official statement, a source has confirmed that all players and staff members are safe and well.
On May 31, 2025, SaharaReporters detailed a tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of at least 19 members of the Kano State group returning from the National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, May 31, 2025, around 9:00 a.m. in Kano State’s Kura Local Government Area.
Witnesses stated that the vehicle carrying approximately 35 individuals, mostly athletes and officials, fell from a bridge, leading to a catastrophic crash.
This bus was the final one among eight vehicles in the Kano group’s convoy.
The accident resulted in 19 fatalities, with several others sustaining injuries and being rushed to Kura General Hospital for immediate care.
