Community mourns as Nigerian winger passes away in England

The football community in England and Nigeria has been thrown into mourning following the death of Nigerian footballer Saburi Adeniji, who passed away in the United Kingdom after suffering a devastating brain stem injury.

Adeniji was a left winger for Kings Park Rangers FC, a non-league club competing in the Eastern Counties League Division One North.

He died on Friday morning after spending several weeks in intensive care, the club confirmed in an official statement.

According to Kings Park Rangers, the 26-year-old showed remarkable strength during his final days, holding on long enough for arrangements to be made for his family to travel from Nigeria. Tragically, his wife and young daughter arrived in England just a day after his passing.

The club paid glowing tribute to Adeniji, describing him as a cherished member of the squad and a man whose impact went far beyond the pitch.

“Ola was not just our number 17; he was family. He will forever be remembered as a loving husband, a devoted father, a loyal teammate and a true King,” the club said.

Adeniji’s health struggles first became public in mid-January when Kings Park Rangers announced that he had been admitted into intensive care.

In a show of solidarity, the club temporarily suspended its fixtures as players, officials and supporters rallied around their teammate.

As his condition worsened, the club backed a GoFundMe initiative to help reunite him with his family. Medical reports later confirmed that Adeniji had been admitted to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, East London, on January 15, 2026, where doctors diagnosed a severe and irreversible brain stem injury.

He was eventually declared brain dead, though legal medical procedures in the UK delayed the withdrawal of life support, allowing time for his family to make the journey to be by his side.