The football world has been thrown into mourning following the tragic passing of 21-year-old Nigerian striker, Victor Udoh, who formerly played for English side Southampton and Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
Reports from The Mirror UK indicate that Udoh was found dead in Abuja, with early reports from local and international outlets describing his demise as happening “under suspicious circumstances.”
At the time of filing this report, authorities have not officially confirmed the exact cause of death.
The highly-rated forward had only recently returned to Nigeria following the conclusion of the Czech football season, where he had been playing for Dynamo České Budějovice—a club he joined after parting ways with Southampton in 2025.
Royal Antwerp officially confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement shared on its official X handle on Tuesday.
The club stated: “With great dismay, RAFC has learned of the passing of former player Victor Udoh (21). Victor arrived at the Bosuil in the 2023/2024 season, where in his first season with the Young Reds he managed to score twelve times in 21 matches. That season, he also made his official debut for the first team in the home match against Charleroi. In total, Victor appeared officially 28 times for The Great Old and provided two assists, before making the move to Southampton.”
Extending their condolences, the Belgian team added: “Our thoughts are with Victor’s family, friends, and loved ones. We wish them much strength, support, and warmth during this particularly difficult time. Rest in peace, Victor.”
Udoh had previously secured a three-and-a-half-year contract with Premier League side Southampton.
He spent around seven months with the English team’s development squad before both parties agreed to part ways by mutual consent to allow the youngster to find regular senior playing time elsewhere.
Before his European breakthrough, the promising talent started his football journey with Abuja-based academy Hypebuzz, before moving to Royal Antwerp and working his way up into the senior ranks.
Reacting to the devastating news on Instagram, Udoh’s former teammate and ex-Watford midfielder Pierre Dwomoh expressed his shock.
Dwomoh wrote: “I woke up to it on Tuesday morning. At first you think something like this happens in your sleep, until you read the message thoroughly and realise: this s*** is real. Some of Victor’s relatives I spoke to confirmed his death.”
An official statement regarding the situation from local security agencies is still being awaited.
