Michael Ojo dies of heart attack after testing positive for coronavirus in June

Nigerian player Michael Ojo dies at 27 after vanishing while training in Belgrade

Nigerian centre-back Michael Ojo died on Friday at the age of 27 after vanishing while training in solitary. His death was confirmed by his last club, Serbian Red Star.

Michael Ojo, who reportedly died of a heart attack, had tested positive for COVID-19 Coronavirus last June. This was confirmed by Red Star Belgrade, the club where he played until six weeks ago.

"Red Star reports with great sadness and regret that former player of our club Michael Ojo died suddenly on Friday at the age of 27 in Belgrade," said the club where he had played the last two seasons.

The 2.16m player had been without a team since his contract with the Balkan team expired on 30 June.

The Euroleague said reports suggested the African player had collapsed while training in Belgrade, losing consciousness. Although doctors tried to revive him at the scene of the incident, at the stadium where Partizan plays, they were unable to do so, so he was urgently transferred to a hospital where his death was certified.

He did not receive authorization to train

Nebojsa Covic, president of the team, reported that "We want to know exactly what happened to him. He added that the Red Star "has been able to learn that between late June and early July Ojo began to feel pain in the lung, fever and cough, and tested positive for coronavirus.

He assures that it was "on July 6th when he was diagnosed with pneumonia in his right lung. A week later he was diagnosed with the other lung. Until Aug. 6 with a new test he had not passed the Coronavirus COVID-19. Michael Ojo did not receive authorization to train, but only "the recommendation to do physical activity of moderate intensity". However, the player has carried out four training sessions between July 31 and August 7, the day of his death.

Michael Ojo's body will undergo a new coronavirus test. The young player had played in the United States and signed with FMP Belgrade, from which he moved on to Red Star a year later, where he's played two seasons, winning a league and an ABA Super Cup.