Peter Fregene, former Green Eagles goalkeeper, has reportedly passed away.
His death was announced by Segun Odegbami in a statement on Sunday.
Odegbami, Peter Fregene’s friend and ex-international, said the legend died after a long illness in front of his wife Tina and two of his children.
Prior his death, Odegbami solicited financial assistance for the ailing Fregene.
Odegbami stated on Tuesday that Fregene was hospitalised in Sapele, Delta State, and required immediate medical attention and financial support.
He stated that, while Tony Ojesina funded the ambulance fees, additional payments are required before he can be transferred to the teaching hospital.
Odegbami also decried “the lack of a functional welfare scheme for retired athletes” in Nigeria.
In a statement on Sunday, Odegbami wrote: “A few minutes ago, Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, OLY, former goalkeeper for Nigeria’s Green Eagles, who has been on life support for the past one week, passed on to meet his creator.
“He died quietly in the presence of two of his children and his devoted wife, Tina.
“On behalf of all generations of Nigerian footballers, Olympians, sportspersons, his family, friends, fans, and a few incredible Nigerians that quietly rallied round and, with their support, prayers, and the will of the creator of the universe, kept him alive until this night, I say a big ‘thank you’,” he added.
Fregene represented Nigeria at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and played for the national football team in the 1960s and 1970s.
His extraordinary reflexes and resilience between the posts earned him nicknames like ‘Apo’ and ‘Flying Cat’.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
