Former Super Eagles defender Yisa Sofoluwe is in a critical medical condition at the Prince and Life Medical Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos.
The 53-year-old Sofoluwe is currently being treated for mild cerebral atrophy and has been advised to undergo a brain magnetic resonance imaging scan, according to the radiologist report.
According to healthgrades.com, cerebral atrophy is the progressive loss of brain cells over time. It can happen in either the entire brain or in just one part of the brain and can lead to decreased brain mass and loss of neurological function.
Ex-international Waidi Akanni disclosed that Sofoluwe was in a coma.
“He’s in a coma now as we speak. He has undergone some tests and the doctors found out that he has some dead tissues in his brain. He needs adequate treatment to recover well,” Akanni, who has been raising funds for the treatment of the ailing Maroc ’88 AFCON star, said.
Another ex-international Jide Oguntuase, who has been with Sofoluwe since he was admitted to the hospital a month ago, stated that the former left-back pays the sum of N100,000 weekly for treatment.
“We felt we could help him recover well without calling for help but we need more funds to help him get back,” Oguntuase explained.
“Yisa (Sofoluwe) has loss of brain cells. When you are talking to him he says something else. He is in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. The Medical Director of the hospital is a psychiatrist expert.
“We didn’t want it out in the media but because of the cost of medication we have no choice now.”
The General Secretary of the Professional Players’ Union of Nigeria, Emmanuel Babayaro, expressed shock at the news, but added that the players union would support the former Abiola Babes star.
“This is news to me, but I will get across to the executive board and we will do what we can to help him.”
Sofoluwe won 40 caps and scored one goal for Nigeria and was a member of the Eagles squads which reached the final of the 1984 and 1988 AFCON tournaments.
At club level, he featured for Ibadan giants 3SC between 1982 and 1983, winning the domestic league title, before moving to Abiola Babes, where he spent four seasons and won the FA Cup twice in 1985 and 1987.
