Super Eagles legend, Tijani Babangida, and his family have reportedly died in a ghastly motor accident on the Kaduna-Zaria highway, Soccernet.ng reports.
Earlier reports revealed that the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games gold medallist was involved in a car accident on Thursday that claimed the life of his younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida.
Former teammate Emmanuel Babayaro, the General Secretary of PFAN, announced the incident in a statement.
The statement reads, as earlier quoted by Punch: “Comrades! Let us pray for our president, Tijani Babangida, who was involved in a ghastly motor accident along the Kaduna-Zaria road. Ibrahim Babangida, his younger brother, died on the spot from the accident while Mr President (Babangida) and his family were taken to the hospital. May the soul of Ibrahim Babangida Rest In Peace with God, amen.”
Meanwhile, new reports circulating in the Nigerian media space reveal that the former Nigerian international sadly passed away from wounds sustained in the fatal accident.
No public statement has been made by the Nigeria Football Federation to confirm these reports, but if true, it would be a heartbreaking loss for football fans in the Nigerian football community.
Tijani Babangida’s playing style was known for his quick feet, and his football journey spanned five countries across three continents. Most notably, he spent a significant part of his career in the Netherlands, representing VVV-Venlo, Roda JC, Ajax, and Vitesse over nine years at the club level.