Kano Pillars player slumps, dies on pitch after returning from oversea trip

Plans have been concluded for the burial of Nigerian footballer Abdul Haruna who collapsed and died on the pitch of play, on Sunday.

Haruna leaves wife Surayya behind barely three years after the couple tied the knot.

Surayya, who married Haruna in 2012, will now need help from family and friends to nurture the baby boy her late husband also left behind.

Haruna used to play for Heartland FC and Kano Pillars.

He had a spell with a club in Vietnam, Song Lam Nghe, and had been out side the country for a while. He recently returned to Nigeria to celebrate Christmas with his family and friends, reports say.

Haruna was playing for Kano Professionals in a friendly game against an amateur side when he slumped unchallenged. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Kano Pillars spokesperson, Idris Malikwa, said Haruna’s death came as a shock to the football community.

“He was moving with the ball when he slumped and died on the pitch,” Malikawa said in a statement

“He fell down unchallenged and was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital before he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

“This is a huge shock to the entire football family in Kano, we never expected this,” he said.

Haruna will be buried on Monday according to Islamic rites.

The cause of his death remains unknown..