Female League star, Onwuegbuchulam needs N3.5m for surgery after serious accident

Female League star, Ifeoma Onwuegbuchulam needs N3.5m for surgery after serious accident

A star player in Nigeria Women's Football League (NWFL), Ifeoma Marvellous Onwuegbuchulam has cried out for assistance in raising N3.5m for her to undergo surgery, after a serious motor accident left her bedridden for several months.

Onwuegbuchulam, who played for Inneh Queens of Benin City and FCT Queens of Abuja before moving to Osun Queens of Osogbo, where the career-wrecking accident took place on the 5th of July his year, said the operation will enable her walk again. 

The product of Community Action Through Sports (CATS) youth development project, during their days of sponsorship by the British Council, disclosed that she suffered several fractures when a car ran into a commercial motorcycle she was on in Olonkoro area of Osogbo.

Four months after the ghastly accident, Ifeoma is stuck in a wheel chair and needs N3.5m to undergo a final stage of corrective surgery at Asala Bone Centre in Osogbo. 

Onwuegbuchulam recounted, "This accident was very, very serious, but I am happy that I am still alive. It happened when I was on a bike, and it got into a head-on collision with a car. The first hospital where I was rushed to and then admitted was LAUTECH in Ogbomosho. I was later transferred to Asala Specialist Bone Centre, a private hospital in Osogbo, where I had the first stage of surgery.

"I need another stage of surgery in order to get back fully on my feet, but I can't afford it. That's why I am using this medium to appeal to football lovers, players, officials, companies and Nigerians in general to kindly assist me."

In the same vein, the former project administrator and team manager of CATS, Pastor Oscar Ezinwa Emmanuel said he was shocked beyond words on hearing Ifeoma's story and how she has been suffering in silence since July. 

The grassroots football guru-turned-clergyman, who is fondly called 'T.M,' appealed to officials of the NWFL and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to quickly mobilise support and assistance for Ifeoma to receive the final stage of surgery.Oscar disclosed, "She was our regular left-full-back in the CATS Girls' team, up until the time we disbanded all the squads in 2009. I am still in shock to hear her story and see such scary photographs of her current condition.

"She really needs help now; not just for her to play football again but to at least get back on her feet. If only for her to walk again.

"I hereby humbly appeal to caring Nigerians, the NWFL, NFF, corporate bodies and individuals to please assist her. She needs N3.5m only. Thanks."

He added that donations in support of the bedridden player's urgent surgery can be sent to the following bank account:0435157958 GTB, IFEOMA MARVELLOUS ONWUEGBUCHULAM