Chinese club Beijing Enterprises FC is set to hold a memorial service on Tuesday for former Ivory Coast and Newcastle footballer Cheick Tiote.
Family members as well as teammates past and present will attend, including compatriot Gervinho and ex-Newcastle striker Papiss Cissé, according to Tiote’s representative Emauele Palladino.
Tiote, who played in England between 2010 and 2017, will then be flown home to the Ivorian capital of Yamoussoukro.
The cause of death of the 30-year-old, who collapsed in training on June 5 and passed away having been rushed to hospital, is still unknown.
‘A true professional, a great man’
“Mr Tiote has made outstanding contributions to the club since joining, and has won over the club, coaching staff and teammates with his superb skills and professionalism,” said Beijing Enterprises in a statement.
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez described Tioté as a “true professional.”
“It is with great sadness that I have learned of Cheick’s death,” Benitez told the Newcastle website.
“In the all the time that I have known him, he was a true professional, dedicated and above all, a great man. Our hearts go out to his family and friends at such a sad time.”
AFCON triumph
The midfielder represented his country on over 50 occasions, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.
He was also part of the Ivorian squads at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
Senegal striker Demba Ba, who was a teammate of Tiote’s at Newcastle, offered his condolences on social media.
“May Allah gives grant you jannah brother Tiote (sic),” tweeted Ba, who now plays in Turkey with Besiktas.
“Very sad to hear about the pass away of tiote. Rip my friend (sic),” posted Jonas Gutierrez, an Argentine who played for Newcastle alongside Tiote.
“Goodnight brother, you will be missed,” said Papiss Cissé, another former teammate on Tyneside. “My heart goes out to his family. Gone too soon”
Tiote is best remembered for scoring a spectacular, last-gasp equalizer when Newcastle came from 4-0 to draw 4-4 with Arsenal in 2011.