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Just a few months after securing a move to Europe, a promising career has been cut short.

Kelvin Odenigbo, the Nigerian footballer who drowned in a tragic incident in Europe | Pulse Nigeria

Steve Dede

<h1>Kelvin Odenigbo had just achieved what is obtainable for just a tiny percentage of Nigerian football talents.&nbsp;</h1>

In January, Odenigbo's football career got a lift with a move to Europe to play for FC Vitebsk in the Belarusian Premier League.&nbsp;

After a couple of years in the second-tier division in Nigeria, securing a move to Europe was a guaranteed path to making good money from playing football.&nbsp;

But after just four games, his dreams of having a promising football career has been cut short after he drowned in a tragic incident in Belarus.&nbsp;

On Saturday, June 5, 2021, the body of the Nigerian footballer was found in Beloye Lake, a tourist destination in the Vitebsk region.&nbsp;

From just securing a move to Europe, where he had dreams of moving up in his career,&nbsp;the dreams of a promising and talented young footballer has been cut short.&nbsp;

Pulse spoke to a slew of people who expressed sadness about the passing of Odenigbo, a popular talent around Benue and Abuja, where he played for so many years.&nbsp;

His family has also been left to deal with the passing of someone they had enormous hopes for.&nbsp;

Along with his older brother Ebuka who plays for Kano Pillars, the family were hopeful of seeing one or both of their sons attain success in professional football.&nbsp;

"This is a profound shock as he wouldn't go near a swimming pool," Ebuka told BBC Sport Africa.

"I said this because he can't swim at all. He doesn't like water so I was shocked when they said he was found dead in a lake."

FC Vitebsk have confirmed that there was no foul play in the drowning incident.&nbsp;

Club doctors said an autopsy found "no violent marks on the body and there are no traces of alcohol in Kelvin's blood. It was a drowning accident that shocked us all."

Kelvin Odenigbo (Instagram/Kelvin Odenigbo)

Kelvin Odenigbo, the Nigerian footballer who drowned in a tragic incident in Europe

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