Kouame's mother 'overwhelmed' by death of 29-year-old

Eugene Kouame died on Monday, the second Ivorian to die of suspected heart problems in five weeks

The mother of Ivorian footballer Eugene Koffi Kouame has said she is 'overwhelmed' by the loss of her son.

Kouame died at the age of 29 on Monday after collapsing during a friendly game with friends in Abidjan.

His colleagues tried to resuscitate him before rushing him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"It's impossible to live without my son," Kouame's mother Sant'anna Cica Rachel told BBC Sport. "I'm overwhelmed."

A vigil will be held on 21 June for Kouame in his home neighbourhood of Gonzagueville, a coastal suburb of Abidjan.

He will be buried the following day in nearby Grand Bassam.

The death of Kouame, a free agent following previous spells in Turkey and Russia, came just a month after that of fellow Ivorian Cheick Tiote and has plunged the country's football world into mourning once again.

Kouame's parents have praised their son Eugene, with both saying he had a warm demeanour

The former Newcastle United star died on 5 June of a suspected heart problem while training with Chinese side Beijing Enterprise.

Media reports suggest that Kouame, a father of five, also died because of a heart-related issue but this has yet to be publicly confirmed by medical specialists.

The forward started out with the famous ASEC Mimosas before a spell with fellow Ivorians Sewe Sports.

He eventually made his way to Turkey, where Kouame played for second-division club Boluspor in the 2011-2012 season.

In a statement, Boluspor club said it was 'deeply sorry' to hear of his death and offered condolences to the family.

Kouame spent 2012-13 with FC SKA-Khabarovsk, who will debut in Russia's top flight next season, and was being linked with an amateur Turkish side, Egirdirspor, at the time of his death.