Pierre Dwomoh, a former teammate of Victor Udoh’s, paid heartfelt homage to the young forward after sharing his grief and shock upon hearing the news of Udoh’s untimely death at the age of 21.
Dwomoh also recounted on Instagram his struggle to accept the awful news after learning about it for the first time.
It was there when I opened my eyes on Tuesday. When you first read the message, you can’t believe it’s genuine; then you realise that this isn’t only in your head. According to what he told the Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad, he confirmed Victor’s death after speaking with several of his relatives.
The young footballers, Udoh and the Belgian-Ghanaian midfielder, were both seeking new possibilities ahead of the summer transfer window and were navigating unknown career pathways. The two had been in close communication in recent weeks, the midfielder said.
This summer, Victor was on the hunt for a new club, just like I was. I asked him about his vacation plans a few days back. I invited him to a training camp in Morocco, and we were supposed to go together, but he said he was busy working hard in Nigeria.
Reminiscing about their friendship at Royal Antwerp, Dwomoh emphasised how fast they connected despite their varied ethnicities and cultures.
“I had dinner with Victor in the summer of 2024 after making a short trip back to Antwerp from RWDM. With two Nigerians and one Ghanaian, it was a natural fit.
Additionally, he paid tribute to Udoh’s abilities and style of play, describing him as an accomplished attacker with great technical skills and an intense drive to achieve greatness.
“He was lightning fast, had a pinpoint dribble, and a can-do attitude.”
Dwomoh went on to discuss the difficulties the two players had while playing in Europe, particularly the difficulty of re-establishing themselves following stints in England, a country that doesn’t always provide enough possibilities for young players.