The goalkeeper coach says the former Nigeria U-17 striker, who reportedly died on Tuesday night, had asked the Benue club for any job, but the original report carries no response from Lobi Stars.
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Former Olympic Eagles goalkeeper John Ga’ad has criticised Lobi Stars management after the reported death of former Golden Eaglets striker Edward Anyamkyegh. According to Complete Sports, Anyamkyegh died on Tuesday night, November 3, 2026, and no cause of death has been given.
Anyamkyegh was 48 and came from Gboko in Benue State. He represented Nigeria at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Ecuador, where he scored two goals in the Golden Eaglets’ three group stage matches.
At home he played for BCC Lions of Gboko and Julius Berger of Lagos. His career then took him to Europe, with spells at Sheriff Tiraspol and several clubs in Ukraine, including Karpaty Lviv, and later in Finland, where he played for KuPS before retiring and returning to Nigeria to coach.
What Ga’ad Said
Ga’ad, who is now goalkeeper coach of Bendel Insurance, spoke to Complete Sports about the late striker’s final years. He said Anyamkyegh had fallen into financial difficulty and badly needed employment at Lobi Stars.
The coach said Anyamkyegh was a former Nigeria international like himself, and that he repeatedly asked the club for an appointment in any capacity so he could look after his family. Ga’ad claims the club refused, and he said he had never seen a state-owned club treat a player from its own state in this way.
“Today, Anyamkyegh is gone. So painful.”
Ga’ad went further and said the former striker even asked for a curator’s job, but he claimed the current management kept sending him from one person to another. These are Ga’ad’s claims, and the original report does not include a response from Lobi Stars management.
Lobi Stars And The Weekend Ahead
Lobi Stars begin their 2026/27 Nigeria National League (NNL) Conference D campaign on Sunday, November 8, with a home game against Bichi First FC of Kano. The match is scheduled for the McCarthy Stadium in Makurdi, after the NNL approved the club’s return to its home city.
Whatever the club’s response, the reported death has already prompted a wider question about how Nigerian football looks after its former players. The case puts a spotlight on the welfare of former players once their careers are over.
For Benue football, it is a moment of loss. Anyamkyegh was part of a Golden Eaglets squad that represented the country on the world stage at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
We send our condolences to his family, friends and the wider Nigerian football community. This story will be updated if Lobi Stars management or the family issue a statement.
Career Snapshot
- Edward Anyamkyegh was born on October 10, 1978, in Gboko, Benue State.
- He played three matches and scored two goals for Nigeria at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Ecuador.
- He played for BCC Lions of Gboko and Julius Berger of Lagos in Nigeria’s top flight.
- His European career included clubs in Ukraine and Finland between 1999 and 2005, and he later played in the Finnish lower divisions until 2011.
- He played for KuPS in the 2005 Finnish Cup before returning to Nigeria to coach.
