Former Newcastle United player, Cheick Tioté slumps and dies in training
Ivory Coast international football player, Cheick Tioté, has died in China at the age of 30, new reports say.
Tioté was said to have collapsed while training with his Chinese club, Beijing Enterprises on Monday.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“I can confirm that my client Cheick Tioté sadly passed away today after collapsing in training with his club Beijing Enterprises,” his agent Emanuele Palladino said in a statement.
“We cannot say any more at the moment and we request that his family’s privacy be respected at this difficult time. We ask for all your prayers.”
Tioté joins a host of African football players, such as Nigeria’s Samuel Okwaraji and Cameroon’s Marc Vivien Foé, who slumped and died while playing the beautiful game.
One of the player’s career highlights was a stunning strike against English side Arsenal during his seven-year spell at Newcastle.
Tioté also won 52 caps for Ivory Coast and played in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
