A promising young footballer has been tragically murdered by kidnappers after his family struggled to raise enough money to pay the ransom, The Sun reports.
The Senegalese football community is in mourning, after the death of 18-year-old Cheikh Toure was confirmed on Saturday.
The Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs of Senegal released a statement announcing the murder of the young goalkeeper, after he was found lifeless in Ghana.
Cheikh had trained at the Esprit Foot Yeumbeul.
He was kidnapped after being tricked by a group of armed extortionists, who made him believe he was attending a trial to join a professional club.
The scam led to Cheikh being held hostage by his captors, who then demanded a ransom from his family in exchange for his release.
Unfortunately, the family’s efforts were in vain, and the criminals carried out their threat and killed the teen.
The Senegalese authorities have opened an investigation into Cheikh’s kidnapping and death in collaboration with the Ghanaian police.
The joint task force hopes to shed light on the exact circumstances of the tragedy.
Cheikh’s body is currently in the process of being repatriated to Senegal, French Football Weekly reported.
In a public statement, a spokesperson from The Ministry, expressed its “deep compassion to the grieving family”.
The spokesperson said the investigation was being carried out “with the greatest attention and priority”.
