fans and friends pay tribute to Kano Pillars Abdul Haruna

The sad news of midfielder Abdul Haruna’s sudden death

continues to elicit deep emotion among football followers.

Home on holidays after the end of the Vietnamese league

where he plays for Song Lam Nghe An in the top division,

Haruna slumped and died on Sunday in Kano during a

routine warm up between his former side and an amateur

team.

Many people are still shocked about his passing which Kano

Pillars described as a “mystery”.

Former Kano Pillars striker Obinna Njoku saw the news on

social media and was left in awe at the sudden death of his

friend.

“When I was playing in the Nigerian league then, he was with

Wikki Tourists and I was playing with Kano Pillars,” Njoku,

who just ended his contract in Malta, told Goal .

“We have known each other for long. When I was playing in

Vietnam he was not there, when I left Vietnam to Thailand

he came and he was doing well with his team only for me to

wake up this morning and read that he is gone.

“I felt so sad.

“He was a good guy outside football, he was my friend,”

Njoku said.

A statement on the fan website of Song Lam Nghe An said

the player was a devout Muslim who fasted during the

Ramadan month despite playing for the club.

He scored one goal in nine matches as SLNA finished

seventh in the 14-team table.

Haruna printed a number of his club jerseys to give to

friends back home when he left Vietnam at the end of the

season.

Tributes have been paid to the former Heartland and Wikki

Tourists player on social media by fans and journalists alike.

See below for a few tweets:

We mourn the passing away of Abdul Haruna. May

his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

— Kano Pillars FC (@pillarsfc) December 6, 2015

God...Abdul haruna is dead.....dear lord..save us

— IG »»» officialzeez (@iamzeezaga) December 6,

2015

I really feel for Abdul Haruna's family. Home on

holidays from Vietnam, went for a kick-about and

never returned home. This life.

— Andrew Randa (@RandaAndrew) December 6,

2015

SO SAD! Watching the Super Four game between

@pillarsfc & @warriwolves_fc NOW on SS Select.

Late ABDUL HARUNA just replaced Adamu Hassan.

— Fisayo Dairo (@FisayoDairo) December 7, 2015

We love uh but GOD loves u more......R.I.P abdul

haruna a.k.a abdul chacha pic.twitter.com/

— Its_awwal hydar (@its_auwal) December 7, 2015