A medical professional and former presidential candidate, Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, has advised Nigerians with unusual medical conditions not to attend the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday.
In a statement, Ikubese, the medical director of Sckyé Hospitals in Akure, expressed sympathy to the families of those who lost loved ones in the semi-final match between South Africa and Nigeria and prayed that Almighty God would give them the strength to handle the loss.
He said that among those who died were “High Chief Osondu Nwoye, born in Anambra, one of the richest Igbo businessmen based in Ivory Coast, and Cairo Ojougboh, a former member of the House of Representatives and former Executive Director of NDDC.”
These two, along with a large number of other Nigerians, began yelling in rage and frustration when the referee used the VAR, overturned Victor Osimen’s goal for his country, and awarded a penalty.After South Africa finally took the kick and scored, they collapsed and perished. “The two other deceased were a member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Adamawa State identified simply as Samuel, from Kaduna State, and the Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University Malete, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi, both of whom slumped and died during the terminal penalty kicks,” Ikubese continued.
The AFCON grand final between Nigeria and host Cote D’Ivoire is set to take place on Sunday, February 11. People who are easily agitated or have heart issues are advised to be aware of this.
“This group of people should not watch the live transmission of the match,” he advised. If they must, they ought to consciously participate in diversionary therapy in order to reduce their systemic reactions to the activities involved.
“To lessen their systemic reactions to the involved activities, they should voluntarily participate in diversionary therapy. They can pick up their phones and be engaged in it while watching the match and deliberate if necessary.
On no account should they scream or jump up. Should they still feel uneasy despite all of this, they ought to stop watching.
“They should skip the live broadcast and watch the highlights later if they are unsure about their ability to behave with that degree of decorum.