Very sad news as Yomi Peters,former Stationery Stores of Lagos footballer finally dies from gastric cancer.The former Captain of Super Stores of Lagos,Peters,had been in the news a couple of weeks ago for not being able to pay his medical bills at the LUTH (see
here)were he was being treated.
There has been some reports in some blogs and news papers that Yomi Peters was a goal keeper.Peters was not a goal keeper,Yomi Peters was a striker.I think somebody must have confused the term skipper for keeper.Yomi Peters in his days was a very aggressive and volatile footballer full of passion for his team.This endeared him greatly to the Super Store of Lagos supporters who he often had a love and hate relationship with.
One of my favourite stories of Yomi Perters was a match in which he was playing for his beloved Stationery Stores in Lagos at the famous UAC Stadium Surulere.A player had kicked Yomi Peters badly and he was being stretchered off the pitch,after being taken off the pitch,Peters got off the stretcher,rushed back on the pitch and head butted the player who had injured him,as the player laid on the grass,Yomi Peters calmly walked back off the pitch and laid back on the stretcher! Hahahahha..that was Yomi Peters,a maverick,an enigma and great entertainer if somewhat controversial too.
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| Yomi Peters on his hospital bed a couple of weeks ago. |
I am very upset in the way and manner in which Yomi Peters was allowed to die.He deserved better.
The former Stationery Stores of Lagos striker, captain and coach, Yomi Peters died at the Lagos University Hospital at about 8.55am on Wednesday, just as the Lagos State Football Association has condoled with the family.
According to Dotun Coker, a member of the Lagos State Football Association who was with Peters, 74, before he passed on, the ex-Mandilas FC player called him at about 2am, asking him to come over in the morning if he (Coker) was in Lagos.
Coker said that Peters was full of life when he spoke with him by phone, adding that he was however surprised to see him in a bad condition on getting to the hospital a few minutes before 7am on Wednesday.
“I was surprised when I arrived at his bedside at the hospital to find him on oxygen and this took me by surprise because when we spoke at about 2am, he never showed any sign he was going to die. And few minutes later he changed and what I saw was not a good sight to behold. The body depreciated and I knew something was wrong. He eventually gave up the ghost at exactly 8.55am,” Coker said.
Yomi Peters was a character in the football world when he was playing.You never knew what he was going to do on the football pitch,the fans had a volatile relationship with him,but they loved him and anytime the Stores supporters visited the stadium,they wanted him in the team.Things were never dull with him around.
Wale Morads