News of the passing of former Nigerian midfielder, Emmanuel Ebiede, has been confirmed. He died on Friday in Port Harcourt, from hepatomegaly (liver enlargement).

Ebiede, 47, passed at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, the doctors confirmed the his demise at 4 pm, yesterday,

He left behind a wife and three children – two in Nigeria and one in the Netherlands.

The late midfielder was part of Nigeria’s U20 MNT squad to the 1995 African Youth Championship, which the Country hosted.

Ebiede earned two caps for the Super Eagles, debuting in a 1-0 win over Iran in a pre-1998 World Cup friendly on January 28, 1998.

At the club level, he began his career with his boyhood club Sharks in 1995 before transferring to Belgian First Division side SC Eendracht Aalst.

Two years later he moved to the Dutch Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen, followed by a stint in the United Arab Emirates from 1999 to 2004.

Ebiede returned to Nigeria where he featured for Bayelsa United and Sharks.