The defender was a part of the victorious 1994 Nations Cup team and played a match at the 1994 World Cup, where the national team qualified for the second round in a first ever appearance at the Mundial. He won a total of 34 caps for the national team.
He began his football career at the defunct ACB Football club, Lagos. He then moved to Belgium as was the norm of Nigerian players to join first division side KSV Mechelen.
He also played for Hannover 96 before ending his career in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Sporting Kansas City, formerly known as Kansas City Wizards.
Okafor was a member of the North Texas Soccer Association where he was head coach for the 91 Gold Central boys team and the 93 HP Central boys team who play in the Plano Premier Select Soccer league. He also worked as a pundit on American sports channel, ESPN on the programme PressPass.
A report on says he had taken his daughter to school earlier in the day and was later found to be hanging from a rope in his home.
“Seriously I still find it hard to believe when I got the call from the US. This is a really sad way to begin the year,” former team mate Ben Iroha quoted. He also added:
"It came as a rude shock because Uche (Okafor) had gradually become a player some youngsters want to emulate,"
"He was an articulate, smart and gentle man on and off the field.
"We will all miss him greatly."
Dallas coroners have cordoned off the area while carrying out investigations into possible suicide.
“This is very, very sad. Mr. Uche Okafor served this country with distinction and we are taken aback by the nature of his demise." NFF secretary-general Musa Amadu said in a statement.
"All the same, at this time, we can only pray to God for repose of his gentle soul.
He was 43 years old at the time of his death.
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