Ghanaian police have launched an investigation into the “suspicious” death of 20-year-old Senegalese footballer Cheikh Toure, whose body was taken to a hospital in Kumasi last week.
The probe, announced on Monday, follows a statement from the Senegalese government on Saturday alleging that Toure fell victim to a criminal network involved in scams and extortion disguised as football recruitment, before being murdered by his captors.
According to Ghanaian police, Toure was brought to a hospital on Thursday by a man identified as Issah, who claimed to be his brother. Issah reportedly told hospital staff that Toure had been injured in an accident.
“However, hospital records indicate that the victim was already dead on arrival, with several abdominal injuries,” the police statement said.
Toure, a player from the Esprit Foot Academy in Yeumbeul, Senegal, had reportedly travelled to Ghana after being promised a football trial in Morocco, according to Senegal’s Ministry of Youth and Sports. The ministry stated that he was kidnapped and killed in what appeared to be a fraudulent recruitment operation.
Senegal’s sports authorities have urged clubs, academies, and parents to be vigilant when approached with unverified offers of international trials or transfers.
Ghanaian police confirmed that a full investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of Toure’s death. Meanwhile, Senegal’s foreign ministry has dispatched two embassy representatives to Ghana to assist both local authorities and Toure’s family in repatriating his body.
