'Making that call with always stick with me' - Cloughjordan FC coach opens up on training tragedy

A minute’s silence was observed at all North Tipperary & District League games across the weekend of September 20 and 21 in memory of Cloughjordan FC player Chinenyenwa “Chiboy” Nwabufoh, who died suddenly during training.

Mr Nwabufoh, known to many by his middle name Lotanna, aged 30, collapsed during a session in Moneygall on the evening of Thursday, September 18.

Members of the local community, including volunteers from the Dunkerrin-Barna-Moneygall Defibrillator Group, rushed to his aid but efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Originally from Nigeria, he had been living in Cloughjordan and recently joined the local club as a means to socialise, meet new people in the local area, and stay fit.

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He had attended training sessions but had not yet played a competitive match.

Lotanna was engaged to Róisín, a 23-year-old student from Limerick. The couple had a young son and were expecting another child.

A club statement from Cloughjordan FC following the tragedy read:

“Remembering Chiboy.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our teammate and friend, Chinenyenwa Nwabufoh known to us as Chiboy and to others as Lotanna.

“Chiboy collapsed during a training session on Thursday the 18th September. Despite the immediate care given on the pitch and the incredible efforts of the ambulance team, he sadly passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital.

“Chiboy was more than just a player, he was a devoted father to his young son, with another child on the way, and a loving fiancé to Roisin. His warmth, energy, and spirit touched everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him, both on and off the pitch.

“Our club is heartbroken, but we are grateful for the time we got to share with him. He will forever be remembered as part of our football family.

“We send our deepest love and condolences to his fiancée Roisin, his son, his family, and his friends during this incredibly difficult time.

“Rest in peace, Chiboy. You’ll never be forgotten.”

His friend, Soloman Anyafulu, said his death left “family, friends and community in deep shock and heartbreak.”

He has set up a GoFundMe page to support the family, describing Lotanna as “a devoted father, a loving fiancé, and the only son of his parents in Nigeria,” with dreams of marrying next year and raising his children in Ireland.

The fundraiser, titled ‘Help Bring Lotanna Home and Support His Young Family’, aims to return his remains to Nigeria for burial and provide support to his fiancée, children, and parents.

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In Mr Anyafulu’s words, Lotanna “came from Nigeria to Ireland to pursue his studies and build a brighter future. While here, he met the love of his life, Roisin, and together they began a beautiful journey”.

“They welcomed their son LJ, and just weeks ago they discovered that Roisín is expecting their second child,” he continued.

“Lotanna was the rock of his family; a devoted father, a loving fiancé, and the only son of his parents back home in Nigeria. He was full of dreams for the future: marrying Roisín soon, raising their children together, and building a life filled with love and opportunity.

“His sudden passing has left a devastating void in the lives of everyone who knew him especially his young family and aged parents.

“Now, his young family is facing unimaginable heartbreak and overwhelming challenges. Roisin, only 23 years old and still a student, has lost her partner. LJ, just a little boy, and the baby on the way will grow up without the father who loved them so deeply. Lotanna’s aged parents in Nigerian are grieving the loss of their only child.”

Mr Anyafulu, Lotanna’s best friend, says the money raised from the GoFundMe, which at the time of writing has generated over €16,000 of the €55,000 target, will be used to Lotanna to rest and cover the funeral costs, support Roisín, LJ, and the baby as they face this painful and uncertain future, and the also help over the travel and visa costs for Lotanna’s parents in Nigeria, so they can be present at his funeral in Ireland.

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Eddie Brady is Cloughjordan FC’s PRO and mens first team coach. He spoke to the Tipperary Star about the night of Lotanna’s death and the difficulty of having to inform his fiancée Roisín about what had happened.

“It all unfolded near the end of training,” Eddie began.

“He’d been playing in a small-sided game and as I was talking to the B-team manager, we looked over and he’d collapsed to the ground. Myself and the club secretary who was also playing in the game both ran over to him and started checking him.

“At first people weren’t sure what had happened to him. He’d taken a shot and just missed, so people thought he might have gone down out of frustration. When we got over I made sure his tongue hadn’t gone down his throat. The club secretary was checking for a pulse and checking his breathing, then we got someone to call an ambulance.”

After Lotanna’s collapse, he received Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and was rushed to university hospital Limerick where he was pronounced dead just before midnight. Mr Brady says calling his fiancée to tell her what happened is a phone call he will never forget.

“The first time I saw his fiancée and his son was actually the night of the tragedy. I was the one that made the phone call because I had all the next of kin details.

She came up with the little lad in her arms and one of the female members of the community minded while she came up to where Chiboy was.

“I’ve never had to make a call like that in all the years I’ve been involved in sport. When she was on the way I was trying to think how I will explain the situation to her and prepare her for what she is about to see. I don’t know what I said, but it will always stick with me having to make that call.”

Throughout the interview, Mr Brady repeatedly made reference to Lotanna both as a player and a person.

“He was a really nice guy, really friendly, and was starting to get to know all of the players as well. He was always trying to get to know everyone, always early for training, and was very forthcoming, or I guess genuine in the way he went about things.

“As a player he didn’t get the chance to play competitively, but in training he seemed to have a good footballing ability about him, very intelligent on the ball as well. Going forward the plan was for him to break into the first team and get some minutes in our competitive games across the season.”

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