Olubayo Adefemi (1985-2011)
One of Nigeria’s most talented right-backs, Adefemi began his football career at Bendel Insurance before joining Delta Force in 2002. In 2005, he moved to Israel, where he spent three years playing top-tier football for Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hakoah Ramat, and Hapoel Bnei Lod.
Adefemi was a key player for Nigeria’s U20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. He scored in the penalty shootout during a thrilling 10-9 victory over the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. His second goal of the tournament came in a dominant 3-0 win against Morocco in the semifinals. The team finished the tournament with a silver medal after a controversial 2-1 loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Adefemi also played a vital role in Nigeria’s U23 team during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win against Belgium in the semifinals, though the team once again fell short to Argentina in the final.
He later played for Rapid BucureÈ™ti in Romania and SCR Altach in Austria before signing with Greece’s Skoda Xanthi in the summer of 2010.
On April 18, 2011, Adefemi was driving to the airport to catch a flight to Nigeria in preparation for his wedding to model Shade Adeshina, but he never made it. His car skidded off the road and crashed into a highway pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was only 25 years old at the time.
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