Dutch Eredivisie giants, Ajax Amsterdam have extended a heartfelt message to their former player and ex-international, Tijani Babangida.
Babangida, along with his wife and maid, is recovering from a tragic accident that claimed the lives of his one-year-old son Fadil and his younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida, a 1993 U-17 World Cup winner.
The unfortunate accident occurred on May 9th, 2024, along the Kaduna–Zaria Road, resulting in Ibrahim’s immediate death. Babangida’s son succumbed after an unsuccessful surgery the following day. Babangida himself suffered a broken leg in the accident and has been recuperating at his residence in Abuja, while his wife has undergone successful facial surgery.
Before their last game of the season against Vitesse on Sunday, Ajax, where Babangida enjoyed a seven-year tenure, sent their condolences to the 50-year-old. Ajax players, joined by their opponents, held a banner reading, “Baba Veel Sterkte,” which means “Good luck Baba.” In a video shared via their X handle, they also expressed, “We are with you, Babangida family.”
Babangida played for Ajax as the third team in his European career, winning one league title (1997/98) and two Cup titles (1997/98 and 1998/99). He scored 20 goals in 77 appearances for the Dutch club.
Internationally, Babangida was pivotal in Nigeria’s Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games football gold win and participated in the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the 1998 and 2000 World Cups. He notably scored Nigeria’s only goal in the second-round defeat against Denmark in 1998.
