Enugu Rangers forward Ifeanyi George and two others have died following a ghastly road accident on Sunday.

George, 26, was on his way to Lagos along with Emmanuel Ogbu from Rangers’ youth team and Eteka Gabriel, a friend of George’s – when their vehicle smashed into a parked articulated vehicle on the Onitsha-Agbor-Benin road expressway.

The vehicle was reportedly driven by George and all three occupants died from the clash.

The players were returning to Lagos from Enugu on holidays after Rangers gave players ten days off following the suspension of the Nigeria Professional Football League as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

George joined Rangers from Enyimba in 2017 and won the league in his first season playing a pivotal role as the Flying Antelopes ended a 30-year title drought.

He also won two caps for his the Super Eagles in 2017.

He has been struggling with an injury which kept him out of action in recent weeks and was last on the scoresheet for Rangers in a CAF Confederation Group A clash against Al Masry of Egypt in Enugu on 2 February this year.

“The management of Rangers International FC shall, in conjunction with the families of Ifeanyi George and Emmanuel Ogbu, pay a befitting last respect to both players,” a club statement read.

“We mourn their sudden demise. It’s indeed shocking that we are talking of Ifeanyi and Emmanuel in the past tense.”

George’s death comes exactly two weeks after Nasarawa United defender Chimene Martins slumped and died during a match against Katsina United in Lafia.

An extraordinarily bleak month for domestic players also claimed Remo Stars assistant captain Tiamiyu Kazeem who was also killed by policemen in Sagamu.