The family of former Ghana U-17 World Cup-winning defender Kofi Nimo is facing renewed anguish weeks after his death, as the Ridge Hospital in Accra has reportedly refused to release his body due to unpaid medical bills.
Nimo, a member of Ghana’s historic 1991 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning Black Starlets team in Italy, where he was adjudged the second-best defender of the tournament, passed away on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, after battling illness for several months. He was 51.
According to reports, the late footballer had been a regular visitor to the hospital in search of treatment before his passing.
However, his family’s grief has been compounded by the hospital’s decision to withhold his remains over unsettled bills, leaving them unable to give him a proper burial.
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In an emotional plea, Nimo’s son shared the family’s struggle to retrieve the body from the hospital, telling Ghanasoccernet, “I have reached out to some people within the GFA and former players, but I am yet to hear from them. I just want to give my father a decent burial.”
Nimo was widely respected during his playing career, featuring prominently for Accra Hearts of Oak in the early 1990s, a period when the club was cementing its reputation as one of Ghana’s most dominant sides.
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