Former Rangers star, Magic down with stroke

Kenneth Ababa, a pioneer member of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, is currently down with partial stroke.

Sources confirmed the development, adding that Abana, popularly known as Magic, was rushed to the hospital.

This followed a relapse in his health on Tuesday.

It would be recalled that 73-year-old Abana had been bedridden as a result of acute arthritis and had been confined to a wheelchair for over two years.

When journalists visited the private hospital where the veteran footballer was receiving treatment, he could not speak as he had lost his power of speech.

But Gertrude Abana, his wife, who was with him at the hospital, narrated that the incident happened in the morning after he had his meal and took his medicine.

Gertrude said Abana was rushed to the  General Hospital, Enugu-Ukwu, but the doctors on duty could not manage him until they were referred to the specialist hospital.

She said that her husband had undergone a series of tests, which showed that it was a case of stroke.

Uche Okafor, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, confirmed to journalists that Abana was hit by partial stroke.

Okafor said that the case was manageable and needed progressive management for him to recover.

Emma Okala, Abana’s teammate at Rangers, described his health condition as unfortunate.

Okala, who described Abana as a skillful player and a patriot, said the family of the ex-Rangers player was worried and called on the general public to come to his assistance.

He said: “I am aware of the development.

“It is  quite unfortunate.

“We, the ex-Rangers players, are worried and are calling for assistance for him.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Abana was a member of the foundation team of Rangers FC upon its formation in 1970.