Nigeria Content Online

The gradual phasing out of aging players from the Super Eagles by coach Samson Siasia has been described as good for the team. AC Milan player, Nnamdi Oduamadi, said as much to NEXT in an interview after the Nigeria’s U-23 team beat their counterparts from Liberia 6-1, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin on Saturday.

He observed that in view of the tiring legs, it is becoming very difficult for the aging players to continue to assist the younger ones as they apparently have lost the pace which they were once known for. Odumadi said that with hard work, he hopes to get another call up to the senior national team to fight for a shirt.

The tension-soaked second leg match of the London 2012 Olimpic Games qualifiers saw the visitors taking the lead from the spot kick in the 24th minute after dictating the pace of the first ten minutes.

The Austin Eguavoen-tutored side, however survived the early onslaught piled on the by the visitors. Nigeria got the equaliser through Daniel Uchechi from a penalty in the 29th minute. The Liberian side thereafter lost control of the midfield, as the duo of Uchechi Nnamdi and Nosakhare Igiebor took full charge of the midfield, completely cutting off the visitors, and this resulted in three more goals before the end of the first half.

On resumption for the second half, Ganiyu Oseni increased the tally to four to give hope to Nigeria’s bid to hoist its flag in London in 2012 and further dashing the hopes of the Liberians.

The introduction of Ikande Harmony in place of Odumadi Nnamdi in the 82nd minute of the game also yielded dividends as Oseni increased his tally to two. Though it must be noted that the Nigerian players missed several gilt-edged scoring chances before Nosa Igiebor scored his third goal of the encounter in the 88th minute to end the game six goals to one.

Roberto Landi, the Italian coach of the Liberian side described his lads as a young, home based team, which he said he is fine-tuning for the future of the national team of Liberia. He however said that a costly mistake by his side made them pay dearly with the wide goals margin.

Coach of the Dream Team V, Austin Eguavoen, dedicated the victory to departed Super Eagles defender, Olubayo Adefemi. Adefemi died in a ghastly motor accident in Greece, and was buried in Lagos on Friday. Eguavoen described Adefemi as a dependable player who always played to instructions, saying that he left when Nigeria needed him most in the process of rebuilding of the national team. A one-minute silence was observed in Adefemi’s honour before the commencement of the game.

The
Flying Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday emerged champions of the 2011
African Youth Championship after a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Young
Lions of Cameroun.

It is the sixth time the Flying Eagles will be crowned champions of Africa and also their first AYC title since 2005.

Sunday’s win also means that the Nigerians head into July’s FIFA World Cup in Colombia as African champions.

The Nigerians
however, made things tough for themselves after squandering a two-goal
lead in the match which was played at the Dobsonville Stadium, in
Soweto.

With a quarter of
an hour left on the clock, Olanrewaju Kayode opened scoring for the
Flying Eagles with a shot from inside the Camerounian area following an
error from the Young Lions’ defence.

And when Uche
Nwofor converted from the penalty spot after Kayode was brought down by
Young Lions goalkeeper, Komguep Efala four minutes later, the Nigerians
probably thought they were home and dry.

Fightback

But with eight
minutes left on the clock, the Camerounians, like wounded lions, fought
back and pulled back two goals within the space of two minutes with
Franck Ohandza leading the fight back for his side.

The Thailand based
striker, who grabbed the only goal of the game when both sides met in
the group stage of the tournament, ran into the area and turned his
marker, Gbenga Arokoyo inside-out before slamming the ball off the
underside of Danjuma Paul’s crossbar.

Two minutes later,
Edgar Salli, brought the Young Lions back on level terms with the
Flying Eagles with an unstoppable drive from inside the Nigerian area
after some sloppy defending by Ganiyu Ogungbe, who uncharacteristically
headed the ball onto the path of the Camerounian forward.

The game then
drifted into extra time, but it was the Nigerians that were to have the
last laugh, when substitute Terry Envoh dribbled his way into the
Camerounian area in the second minute of extra time, to score what
turned out to be the match-winning goal.

It was a deserved victory for the Nigerians who were for the greater part of Sunday’s encounter the better side.

Kayode’s show

John Obuh’s side
also had far more chances than the Camerounians and came close to going
ahead in the 11th minute through Kayode. But the ASEC Mimosas of Cote
d’Ivoire youngster, following a cross from the right by Nwofor, headed
the ball onto the crossbar much to the delight of Efala who was rooted
to the spot.

And with two
minutes to the end of the first half, Kayode found some space in the
Camerounian area only to smash his shot onto the side netting with
Efala at his mercy.

The Camerounians
also had chances of their own and Salli proved more than a handful for
the Nigerian defence with his powerful runs and mazy dribbles. But the
Nigerians always looked the more likelier to score, and deservedly went
ahead in the 75th minute when Kayode latched onto an error by the
Camerounian defence, ran into the area before slamming the ball past an
onrushing Efala.

Four minutes later,
Efala was slow in coming off his line and brought Kayode down in the
area for a penalty, which Nwofor dispatched with ease to grab his
fourth goal of the tournament, and thus overtake South Africa’s Lucky
Nguzana on the scorers’ chart.

Then came two goals
in as many minutes by the Camerounians, before Terry Envoh, who took
the place of the injured Abduljeleel Ajagun on the dot of 90 minutes,
dribbled his way past the tiring Camerounian defence, before calmly
slotting the ball under the onrushing Efala for the cup-winning goal.

It wasn’t over yet
though as the Camerounians adopted a gung-ho approach and could had
pulled back on level terms once again but for impressive saves by the
Nigerian goalie.

Not even a 113th minute red card to Kayode for a second bookable
offence could deny the Nigerians a deserved victory as they now set
their sights on Colombia.

Nigerian
forward, Obafemi Martins looks set to rejoin Russian club Rubin Kazan,
come the end of the season following an injury-ravaged campaign with
Birmingham.

The Nigerian
international joined the English Premier League outfit in January on
loan until the end of the season from the former Russian league
champions.

Although the former
Inter Milan striker didn’t make an immediate impact with the Blues, he
was to etch his way into the hearts of the club’s fans when he scored
the match-winning goal in their English League Cup final win over
Arsenal at Wembley.

But a spate of
injuries has limited the Nigerian’s appearances for Alex McLeish’s side
to just four starts before his Wembley heroics. And the Scotsman has
hinted that the club’s Wembley hero may have kicked his last ball for
Birmingham.

Martins underwent
surgery last Thursday to repair a stress fracture in his left leg, and
is expected to be sidelined for up to four months, by which time his
loan at St Andrew’s would have expired.

And McLeish has
revealed that making the Nigerian’s move to England permanent when the
transfer window reopens in July has not crossed his mind.

Shame

“It’s a shame for
Oba,” McLeish said in the build-up to Birmingham’s 1-1 draw against
Wolves. “He will probably never have to buy a drink in Birmingham
again, but he’s had a strange season.

“At Wolfsburg and
then Rubin, he never cemented a place. Coming to us, I think he was
looking for a bright new future but he was never quite right.

“I think he showed
flashes in the final, the goal and the time after it when he ran at
Arsenal’s back four and went round the keeper. He was at his best.

“But there were times when I thought ‘where’s the wee man’s explosive jumping power and pace?’.

“Eventually it was clear there were problems. When he went away with Nigeria a sore groin stopped him playing.

“When he came back he was complaining about his shin. It was the stress fracture, it crept up on him.

“What we do in the future with him? I’ve not really given it a thought,” he added.

Arsenal started the match like a house on fire, even though they were without the injured Cesc Fabregas. They kept United pinned in their half with about 80 perecent possession in the first ten minutes but the clearest chance in this time, was in the third minute, when a loose ball fell to Jack Wilshire on the edge of the United box but he dragged his shot wide.

This is the kind of missed opportunities that has led to the collapse of the Gunners’ season.

Another great chance was created by Arsenal in the seventh minute when a teasing cross from the left by Gael Clichy was blazed over by Theo Walcott. And in the passage of play, with Arsenal setting a high defensive line, Javier Hernandez was caught offside twice in the first quarter of the game.

There will always be talk about the referee and this match will not be an exception.
Chris Foy, the man chosen to handle the FA Cup final, made too many wrong decisions in the first half and about half of the incidents involved Manchester United captain, Nemanja Vidic. The Serbian centre-back fouled Wilshire on the edge of the box in the 19th minute but Mr Foy waved play on. But the most contentious happened in the 32nd minute when Vidic used his arm to divert for a corner, a cross by Walcott from the right wing. So as the first half ended, all the talk was about the gaffes of Chris Foy.

Ramsey’s goal

The second half was no less easy for Mr Foy as he continued to fumble major decisions. Andrei Arshavin came on for an injured Samir Nasri, but the Gunners kept their shape. Arsenal started on the front foot again but the first goalmouth action was caused by the Red Devils.

In the 50th minute, a free kick about 30m from goal, was almost converted by Rooney but Arsenal’s young goalkeeper, Woljech Szczesny made an outstanding save while Patrice Evra fired into the side netting from a tight angle on the follow up.

United grew in confidence after that near goal and started pushing Laurent Koscielny and Johann Djourou back a bit. But on Arsenal’s next foray forward, they got a deserved goal. Aaron Ramsey won a ball in midfield and fed Robin van Persie, who had shifted to the right.

Van Persie then teased Evra before laying the ball back into the path of Ramsey, who coolly slotted past van der Sar, in goal for United. United then had to at least seek an equaliser and Alex Ferguson brought on Dimitar Berbartov for Hernandez, who had been kept quiet by the Arsenal defenders. Szczesny made a good save in the 77th to help keep the Gunners lead intact.

Rooney played in Nani but Szczesny was quick off his line to make a good stop. Michael Owen replaced Michael Carrick in the 85th minute to try and salvage a goal and Owen almost repaid the faith of his manager in the 87th minute. There were strong penalty appeals, at least from the United bench, when Owen went down just inside the box after contact with Clichy.

Television replays showed that it was a borderline decision for Mr Foy, who waved play on. And that was the last chance that United could muster. They now go into a crunch week where they face Schalke 04 in the Champions League semifinal second leg with a comfortable 2-0 lead and wait to entertain Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday for what could be a title-deciding match.

With Joao Havelange having a 24-year stretch as FIFA boss and Joseph Blatter
now in his 13th, it’s no surprise that Mohammed Bin Hammam advocates term
limits being inserted into the world governing body’s statutes.

“Eight years is a long time for anyone to be president and I do not need
longer than this to implement my programme,” the FIFA presidential candidate
told me during an exclusive chat in Banjul, capital of The Gambia.

“About eight, nine months ago, I submitted a proposal to the FIFA executive
committee, in which I suggested that the terms of the president should be
limited to a maximum of eight years, with the rule only taking effect from
2011… Unfortunately, this motion was defeated.”

That vote has not brought an end to a sore subject many in the game’s
fraternity believe must be confronted, in order to ensure a steady flow of
innovation from FIFA’s upper chamber.

But assuming Bin Hammam will make this issue a cardinal point of his
presidency, should he be elected, it could be akin to barking up the wrong
tree.

“If you are asking me whether I will resubmit this proposal to the executive
committee, I am not too sure about that… But I can assure you that I will not
stay for more than two terms if I am successful.” “I took over as Asian
Football Confederation (AFC) president in 2002 and introduced a three-term
limit (a maximum of 12 years in office). So, if I am not successful in my bid
to become FIFA president, I’ll end my career in 2015, when my final term ends.”

Having accused Blatter of being a “sit-tight president”, one would assume
the AFC boss will sound the warning bells of doom for FIFA, should the Swiss
get a much sought after final term in office.

But Bin Hammam is complimentary of his long-term ally turned political
adversary.

“Competition is the way to make the organisation vibrant… If Blatter
continues his work after the elections, should he win, I think it will be good
for FIFA…” “My feelings for him have not changed and I hope we will shake
hands after the contest is over. I do not see him as an enemy and I hope he
feels the same.”

To have a serious chance of winning the contest, the Qatari needs
substantial African support, with CAF, alongside UEFA, being the largest
confederation in the world.

But personalities within the continent question the genuineness of Bin
Hammam’s relationship with Africa. The AFC president has been accused of using
his Gulf wealth to interfere in CAF’s political matters, especially during
elections into its executive committee and polls for the continent’s FIFA exco
representatives.

Many say his alleged support for Algeria’s Mohammed Raouraoua, was vital to
the latter’s successful bid for a seat on the FIFA executive committee last
February.

Accusations of skulduggery, predictably, attract a denial from the AFC boss.

“Some people may see it that way but I have never influenced anything
internally in Africa,” he claims.

“My relationship with the continent’s federations and administrators is a
close one. I have passed the stage of mere friendship with Africa.”

But the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – the smallest country ever to be awarded
the hosting rights – is all about business.

With Qatari temperatures reaching up to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees
Fahrenheit) in the summer months, when the tournament will take place, the
unsolved mystery of how the tournament will thrive remains – but not for Bin
Hammam.

“The months of June and July are a peak tourist season in Qatar. There are
people on the streets and it’s not as difficult a place as is suggested.”
Should he fail to ascend the FIFA presidency, Bin Hammam claims he’s content to
ride into the political sunset.

“In 2015, my life in football will end and I’ll go back to my family. I have
11 children and 15 grandchildren, so I have a lot of work at home to do!”

But victory in the May 31/June 1 poll will certainly turn things on its
head. That, certainly, is not on Joseph Blatter’s wish list.

POSTSCRIPT

In a previous column titled ‘Amos Adamu’s macabre dance’, the erroneous
impression was given that the former FIFA executive committee member had lost
his right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Although FIFA told me that “The findings of the decision of the FIFA Appeal
Committee… were notified to Mr Adamu on 4 February 2011,” which would have
barred him from an appeal, this was incorrect.

The full judgment, needed before a CAS appeal can be filed, was not
delivered to Mr Adamu until April 12, which means he has until 3 May to appeal.
FIFA has given “apologies if there has been any confusion”.

Jose Mourinho wrote off Real Madrid’s Champions League chances
and accused Barcelona of being favoured by the footballing authorities after
his 10-man side lost their semi-final first leg 2-0 on Wednesday.

Real had midfielder Pepe sent off after 62 minutes and Mourinho
was sent to the stands for his protests soon after, and Lionel Messi took full
advantage to score both goals in a stunned Bernabeu.

“Congratulations to a fantastic football team,” the Real coach
said in a rambling rant at the post-match news conference.

“But congratulations for all they have as well, it must be
difficult to get all this power. Where does this power come from? I don’t know
if it’s because they give UNICEF publicity (on their shirts)?”

Mourinho went on to list Barca’s semifinal victory over Chelsea
in 2009, the Inter Milan semifinal from last season and now “the scandal of the
Bernabeu”, as he suggested unfair red cards had been issued to rivals playing
the Catalan side. “This thing happens in each semifinal,” he said.

“I am here just to ask this question and I hope to get the
answer one day.

“I respect him (Barca coach, Pep Guardiola) a great deal as a
coach and a person…but I would like to see him win a Champions League without
scandals.

“Pep is a fantastic football coach and he has won one Champions
League. I would be ashamed to have won it after the scandal of Stamford Bridge
(when he said Chelsea should have had four penalties).

“I won two Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter and won both
on the pitch. We won with work, effort, sweat and fight.”

Mission impossible

The second of those European crowns came after a famous
rearguard action with 10 men at the Nou Camp last season, losing 1-0 after
having won the first leg 3-1.

However, Mourinho quickly ruled out any chance of another heroic
performance in next Tuesday’s second leg at Barca’s stadium.

“Obviously in the return leg it’s a very difficult mission,” he
added. “It’s not very difficult, it’s impossible.

“They will get to the final and that’s that”

Real have had a player sent off in each of the four ‘Clasicos’
they have played in La Liga, the King’s Cup final and the Champions League this
season, and now will be without the suspended Sergio Ramos and Pepe next week.

Mourinho, who said he was not supposed to be speaking to the
media after having been sent off, will have to watch from the stands.

When asked what he had said to receive the punishment from the
German referee, Wolfgang Stark, he replied: “I didn’t say anything, I just
applauded his decision with two thumbs.

“If I told UEFA and him what I thought and feel, I would end my career now.”
On television replays of the incident he could be seen to say “Well done, well
done” to the fourth official after Pepe was sent off for a high-footed
challenge on Barca fullback Dani Alves.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are through to the final of the ongoing
African Youth Championship after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the ‘Les
Aiglons’ of Mali at the Dobsonville Stadium, in Soweto yesterday.

Two-goal hero in the opening match against Ghana, Uche Nwofor,
put the Nigerians ahead in the 22nd minute of play before Stanley Okoro sealed
the win from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time.

Nigerian coach John Obuh made no changes to the side which ran
out 2-0 winners over Gambia in Nigeria’s last Group B game.

And with the pitch at the Dobsonville Stadium looking much
better than it had previously been after a break from the incessant rains that
had plagued Johannesburg and rendered the surface almost unplayable. Both sides
began the game cautiously with the Nigerians more comfortable moving the ball
on the ground while the much taller Malians opted for aerial balls.

The tempo of the game, however, moved up a gear in the eighth
minute when Chidi Osuchukwu rose above his marker to head the ball towards goal
only to be denied by Malian goalkeeper Cheick Sy.

The Nigerians kept up the pressure and deservedly shot into the
lead in the 22nd minute through Nwofor who stabbed the ball into the back of
the net after the Malian goalkeeper failed to properly deal with Osuchukwu’s
cross.

It was the third goal of the tournament for the Enugu Rangers
forward and he joined South African player, Lucky Nguzana, on three goals to
top the scorers chart.

The Malians reacted by throwing more men forward and came close
to grabbing an equaliser three minutes after the restart but Adama Toure’s
shot, after the Nigerian defence failed to deal with a corner kick, came off
Danjuma Paul’s right upright.

But the greatest undoing of Diallo Sekou’s Malian side remained
their overdependence on long balls which the Nigerians easily dealt with
through well-laid offside traps by the backline marshalled by the duo of Gbenga
Arokoyo and Gani Ogungbe.

But with the half drawing to a close, Nwofor thought he had
increased Nigeria’s lead when he got on the end of Abdul Ajagun’s cross only to
see his goal bound header stopped from hitting the back of the net by an
incredible reflex save by Sy.

Nigerian grit

The Malians started the second half determined to pull level.
And five minutes into the half Adama Toure beat the Nigerian offside trap, but
goalkeeper Paul was quick off his line to deny the Malian forward.

A minute later Ogungbe was booked by referee Mario Bangoura for
a rash challenge. It was the second yellow card of the tournament for the
Gateway FC defender and ruled him out of Sunday’s final.

Around the hour mark, and against the run of play, Nigeria
almost went 2-0 up through Nwofor who somehow failed to get his head onto a
delightful cross by Ajagun with the goal at his mercy.

Then came a period of complete Malian domination but Paul was on
hand to save the day for the Flying Eagles. And even when the Nasarawa United
goalkeeper was beaten, as was the case in the 74th minute when Ibrahimma Diarra
latched onto a header, the post denied the Malians.

Shortly after the match referee indicated that there will be
five minutes added time, Olanrewaju Kayode was brought down in the Malian area.

The Guinean referee wasted little time in pointing to the spot
and Stanley Okoro, who had only been on the pitch for four minutes, calmly
slotted the ball into the net with Sy rooted to the spot.

The Flying Eagles will come up against Cameroon in the final
after the Young Pharaohs were defeated by Cameroon in the other semi-final
match on penalties.

It will be Nigeria’s eighth Africa Youth Championship final
appearance and they will be hoping to claim their sixth African title, while
the Cameroonians will be seeking a second title.

Both sides met earlier in the tournament with the Cameroonians running out
1-0 winners.

Coach of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, John Obuh has now set his
sights on achieving an unprecedented cup victory at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup
in Colombia following Thursday’s draws.

The Flying Eagles were pitched in Group D alongside Croatia,
Saudi Arabia and Guatemala in the tournament’s first round.

The Nigerians open their campaign on July 31 against Guatemala
before taking on Croatia on August 3. They will then wrap up their first round
group with a game against Saudi Arabia on August 6.

It will be Nigeria’s ninth appearance at the World Cup but their
best performances have been two second-place finishes at the 1989 tournament in
Saudi Arabia and the 2005 tournament in the Netherlands respectively.

Nigeria also finished third at the 1985 tournament in the old
Soviet Union but Obuh is out to do what the likes of Tunde Disu (1989) and
Samson Siasia (2005) could not achieve; and that is winning the U-20 World Cup.

“Our target is to make history for the country and ourselves. We
have ambitions,” said Obuh. “We have played two finals of this competition and
are yet to win it and so making history will now be to win it.”

Mixed reactions

On his reaction to the draw, Obuh seemed calm, especially as the
Flying Eagles could had found themselves in a tougher group.

“I wouldn’t say this is a tough or easy group. These days, I
don’t put a lot of importance on what group I find myself,” said Obuh who was in
charge of the Nigerian team to the 2009 U-17 World Cup.

He added: “This was after the Under-17 World Cup, where we were
supposed to be in the ‘group of death’. Also at the AYC, it was another
so-called ‘group of death’ that had Ghana and Cameroun.

“The best approach therefore is to face any team you come across
in any competition.”

He nevertheless insists his team will be focused on the
challenge awaiting them in Colombia.

“We still need to be focused on our group for the World Cup, put
in all we have got so as to go beyond this stage of the competition.”

Although Obuh knows next to nothing about most of his Group D
rivals, he does know a bit about the Saudis having played against them in a
recent friendly in the United Arab Emirates.

“We drew that game but we had everything going for us to win
it,” continued Obuh regarding the game which ended in a 1-1 draw.

“We outplayed them and now at least seven of the players who
played against them in Dubai are not here with us in South Africa for the AYC.
We have a better team now than we had in Dubai.

He added: “We will not underrate any of our opponents because there could be
surprises. Every game in our group will be like a cup final. We just have to be
prepared.”

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will commence their defence of the WAFU
Cup of Nations with a game against the Eagles of Mali.

The draws ceremony on Thursday had the Super Eagles coming out
of the pot with the national teams of Niger and Liberia in Group A. Group B
consists of Senegal, Gambia, Togo and Ghana.

The ceremony took place under the supervision of the
secretary-general of the West Africa Football Union (WAFU), Aka Malan, in
Abeokuta and had in attendance football bigwigs, such as veteran Nigerian coach
Kashimawo Laloko and the sports commissioner of Ogun State, Bukola Olopade
amongst others.

The championship which will see eight countries competing for
the coveted trophy gets underway on May 5, 2011 at the 35,000 capacity Moshood
Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta with the Nigerians taking on the
Malians.

It would be recalled that the WAFU Championship, which was
introduced in 1975, became moribund thereafter for nineteen years, but was
resuscitated by the Ogun State Government last year.

Nigeria won last year’s tournament after defeating Senegal in
the final.

In a related development, official draws of the 26th Edition of
the Eyadema Cup was also conducted yesterday with twelve clubs across West
Africa participating in the tournament scheduled to hold in Togo in December
2011.

The clubs include, Atletic De Coleah (Guinee), Horoya AC (Guinee), ASC Niary
Tally (Senegal), ASC Hlm (Senegal), Mighty Barrolle (Liberia), Watanga
(Liberia), Akonana FC d’ Arit (Niger), Dan Ka FC de Maradi (Niger), Aduana
Stars (Ghana), Kwara United (Nigeria) and Rangers International (Nigeria).

The national stadium, Surulere was agog with fans and
well-wishers on Thursday as the body of the late Super Eagles and Skoda Xanthi
defender, Olubayo Adefemi was laid to rest.

On hand to pay their last respects were Super Eagles coach,
Samson Siasia; former Nigerian goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu; Nigeria Football
Federation (NFF) technical director Chris Green, family members, journalists,
and fans.

The day, which began with a lying-in-state at the national
stadium saw representatives from the NFF, sportswriters and fans pouring
encomiums on the late Adefemi.

Speaking on the loss, Siasia exclaimed that it was sad to lose a
player that young, stating that a promising career had been cut short by fate.

For his part, Yomi Opakunle, a journalist described the defender
as somebody who was God-fearing.

“He did not speak two sentences without acknowledging God,”
Opakunle said. “He was so humble and respectful.”

From the stadium to the
grave

From the national stadium, all roads led to the Atan Cemetery
where a brief ceremony was held.

Speaking at the graveside, Adesanya Adewara of the Celestial
Church of Christ, while delivering a sermon, admonished the crowd to examine
their lives.

“There is time for everything and I tell you, one day, each and
every one of us is going to answer the call, but the only thing that would
speak for us is the impact we have had on people,” he said.

He added: “Though Adefemi’s life was short, it was a life well
spent because of what we have heard about him.” He thereafter enjoined his well
wishers not to forget him and the legacies he was trying to leave behind.

Teammates speak

Some of his teammates also expressed sorrow at his demise. Yinka
Adedeji, Adefemi’s long-time friend, who also played alongside the late player
in the Flying Eagles, as well as in the Olympic team, explained that Adefemi’s
demise would leave a gap in his heart.

“The extent of love, which we have for each other as a team and
as individuals is great and we are going to miss him,” he said.

“To me, Olubayo was more than a friend, he is a brother. We have
been very close; we are just like five and six.

“I have so many memories of him and one thing is that he would
be remembered forever. His memory would forever linger in my heart,” Adedeji
concluded.

Goalkeeper for the team that won silver in the U-20 World Cup in
2005, Ambrose Vanzekin, explained that it still unbelievable to him that his
former teammate is no more.

“For me, he is a brother, he is a friend and we have been
together in the national team for a long time,” said Vanzekin.

“The first time I heard about it, I could not believe my ears
because it was like a dream. I could not go to train that morning. The way I am
now, I have not been myself since I heard the news.

“I have not been able to play games; I told my coach that I was
not psychologically fit. He was a brother to us, we started the whole thing and
it is so sad when you see one of your numbers gone. I pray God would help his
family to be able to bear the loss.”

Vanzekin also spoke about the one recurring memory he has of the
late defender.

“Every time he scored a goal, he had a special way of
celebrating it. He would act like he was riding a boat and this is what I
continue to see when I think about him and that is one memory I would never
forget of him.”

Adefemi is survived by an aged mother, sisters, brother, nephews and nieces.