Junior Agogo Dead: Former Ghana Striker Dies Aged 40

Former Ghana international Junior Agogo has passed away, aged 40.

The striker suffered a stroke back in 2015 which left him partially paralysed just two years after retiring from playing.

According to a number of reports in Ghana, he passed away in London on Thursday morning.

Agent Saif Rubie tweeted: “Just heard the news that one of my first clients ever Junior Agogo has passed away. Still can’t believe it. One of my proudest moments in football is seeing him smash the AFCON in Ghana.”

Agogo was a star of the national team and the poster boy of the 2008 African Cup of Nations hosted in Ghana. He wrote his mane into Ghanaian footballing folklore when he scored the winner for the Black Stars in the 2008 African Cup of Nations quarter-final against Nigeria and was a key part in their third-placed finish.

In total, he scored 12 goals in 27 caps for the Black Stars between 2006 and 2009.

Agogo had a devastating stroke in 2015, and revealed in an emotional BBC interview two years ago that the incident left him “in a bad way”.

Agogo told the BBC: “I was running with my dog. I was coming back home. I was near the Marriott Hotel and the stroke happened.

“When I woke up I was in hospital with my mum. I couldn’t speak. I was in a bad way.

“I had thoughts, but I was like where is my voice. I was baffled, man.”

Agogo had a terrific career spanning 15 years in the game and played for 15 teams in total including for Scottish side Hibernian where he retired in 2012.