A former BCC Lions coach, Emmanuel Ngobua has passed on after a protracted illness.
He died on Monday at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi.
The late Ngobua started his football career in Calabar with Prisons Super Keys, from where he had a brief stint with Calabar Rovers.
In 1979, he returned home to play for his home club, Kwande United Football Club, Adikpo in Benue State.
He led them to victories in both the State FA Cup and Governor’s Cup in 1980.
After distinguishing himself in his home club, he was signed by the famous BCC Lions FC Gboko in 1982 where his blossoming career was cut short by a ghastly motor accident that claimed the lives of some of his team mates in 1985.
He was then sponsored to the National Institute for Sports, NIS, Lagos where he obtained his coaching certificates.
Late Ngobua returned to coach the Junior BCC Lions FC from where he was on different occasions drafted to assist coaches like the current technical director of Nigeria Football Federation, Bitrus Bewarang and Amodu Shuaibu in the senior team.
He would later coach BCC Lions seniors towards the end of the glorious reign of the former African champions.
Apart from coaching BCC Lions, Ngobua who was passionate about youth football development, groomed most of the Benue-born players who are presently plying their trade in the country and abroad.
Untill his death, he was the Technical Director of an amateur club side, Nigachem FC in his home town of Adikpo in Benue State.
Late coach Ngobua is survived by his aged mother, wives and siblings including Manasseh Ngobua, a former BBL Hawks (Lobi Stars) player and David Ngobua, Sports Editor of Daily Trust newspaper.