Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala has angrily dismissed a viral post falsely claiming her grassroots coach had died, publicly calling out the journalist behind the report and urging fans to ignore it. The six-time CAF Women's Player of the Year expressed her fury after CAF-accredited journalist Wale Quadri shared a now-deleted post on X claiming that FC Robo founder and youth coach Omokpae Emmanuel Osahon had died.
Oshoala reacts to false death report
Reacting on her verified X account, the Al Hilal forward wrote: 'Some of you are just mad. Please disregard this news, the man is very okay.' She later shared a screenshot showing she had blocked the journalist's account, adding: 'Says a lot as to why I've blocked this account a long time ago. Smh.'
The false post described the coach as one of Nigeria's leading developers of women's football talent, crediting him with nurturing stars such as Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Shukurat Oladipo and Folashade Ijamilusi. According to FC Barcelona, Oshoala played under Osahon at Robo for five years before starting her European exploits.
Fans back Oshoala, condemn misinformation
Oshoala's response attracted widespread support from football fans and social media users. X user @Philip_ItisI questioned the motive behind the post: 'What do people gain from spreading bad news? @QualityQuadry, take your post down. Stop misleading the public.' Another user, @nicefrancis007, expressed relief: 'Thank God.'
@PascalOkonkw accused the journalist of repeatedly spreading controversial claims: 'This is the same person who confidently claimed Congo would be disqualified from the World Cup. He also kept writing negatively about Eric Chelle during AFCON.' @bobdazzy63 revealed that some users had reported the account: 'We've helped report the account. People can't keep wishing death on others just because they want to go viral. It can ruin someone's life.'
@LunaMutra questioned why rumours of such magnitude continue to circulate online, while @Ojooladipupoo admitted the report initially frightened him: 'I was genuinely scared when I saw it. There should be consequences for posting fake news. Too many people just want to trend for the wrong reasons.'
Identity of deceased football administrator clarified
Legit.ng independently established that the viral post was a misrepresentation of facts. The person who passed away was Osahon Omokpae, Chairman of the Badagry Divisional Football Association (BDFA), and not FC Robo owner and grassroots coach Omokpae Emmanuel Osahon. The respected football administrator died on Thursday morning.
In a statement made available to Legit.ng, the association paid tribute: 'Coach Omokpae was a dedicated football administrator whose commitment, leadership and passion for the growth of football in the Badagry Division will be greatly missed by the entire football family. Further details regarding funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.'
The clarification has brought an end to the confusion while renewing conversations about the importance of fact-checking before publishing sensitive news, particularly reports involving deaths.
