Benik Afobe reaches out to Francis Ngannou after tragic death of UFC star's son
Former Arsenal player Benik Afobe, who tragically lost his two-year-old daughter in 2019, has reached out to Francis Ngannou following the death of his son. Ngannou, the ex-UFC heavyweight champion, confirmed on Monday that his 15-month-old son, Kobe, had sadly passed away.
While many sporting icons like Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao and Anthony Joshua have shown their support, none can likely empathise quite like former Millwall and Wolves player Afobe.
Afobe experienced a similar heartbreak in 2019 when his daughter, Amora, died from complications related to a rare kidney condition known as nephrotic syndrome. The ex-DR Congo international reached out to Ngannou, offering words of comfort during this difficult time.
«Sorry. I've been through the same,» wrote the 31-year-old. «Worst feeling a parent can go through ever. May God give you and your family strength in these difficult times.»
Afobe, who joined Arsenal's academy at six but never made a competitive senior appearance for the club, has spoken openly about his own grief in the past. He was playing for Stoke at the time of his young daughter's death but accepted a loan to Trabzonspor in Turkey to allow himself more freedom to grieve, reports the Daily Star.
In a 2022 interview with The Athletic, Afobe revealed: «Every day, parents lose children. Every single day. For them to see a footballer go through something like this, with it being so open and public, hopefully I can show people that life can continue. It's not all over for you. I wanted to be some sort of… not so much a role model, but to show people that you can overcome anything in life.»
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