Nigeria: Adefemi’s Body Arrives on Monday – As NFA Condoles Family

Daily Independent (Lagos)

20 April 2011

The remains of the late Nigerian international, Olubayo Adefemi, is expected to arrive in the country on April 25 barring any hitch in flight arrangements says Spanish football agent, Miguel Cladera Riera.

Riera told SuperSport.com from Greece that Greece authorities has informed him that the body would be flown out of Greece on Friday but would not arrive in Nigeria until Monday.

He also said the Nigerian embassy in Greece was of assistance in helping to facilitate the release of the remains of the late Xanthi Skoda defender.

Riera also revealed that negotiation with Greek club, Xanthi Skoda, for the payoff package of late Nigerian international is close to conclusion.

The Greek club conducted a short funeral mass for him Tuesday evening.

A priest led the mass which was attended by club owner, Christos Panopoulos, coach Nikos Papadolos, players of Xanthi as well as many fans.

A photograph of Adefemi in the wine coloured shirt of Xanthi as well as his number 13 shirt were displayed in the middle of the club’s home ground.

Club owner Panopoulos kissed the player’s photo in a touching final tribute to the 25-year-old defender.

Also a bouquet of flowers was placed underneath his number 13 shirt inside the dressing room of the home team.

The player’s name and shirt number were also displayed on the pitch along with the club’s scarf and several bouquets of flowers.

The Nigeria international defender was killed Monday morning in a car crash on his way to board flight to Nigeria, where he was finalising his wedding for later this month.

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has sent a letter of condolence to the family of late Adefemi.

In a letter signed by 1st Vice President of the Association, Chief Mike Umeh, the NFA mourned the passing of one of the aces in the re-building process embarked upon by Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Samson Siasia, and prayed that Almighty God would grant the player eternal rest and also grant the family and his other loved ones the fortitude to bear the big loss.

“Olubayo was such a gentle, disciplined, dedicated and thoroughly committed Member of the Nigeria senior team, Super Eagles, and was a key element in the re-building plans of the new Head Coach, Mr. Samson Siasia.

“We mourn deeply about this sudden demise of one of the gems of Nigerian football, who had represented our dear country at both U-20 and U-23 levels, winning laurels all the way, and there is no gainsaying that as a wonderful football player and person, Olubayo was an embodiment of humility and discipline, as severally attested to by his Coaches at club and national levels.

“Our prayer is that the Almighty God will grant him eternal rest in His bossom, and also grant those he has left behind, as well as the Nigeria football fraternity, the fortitude to bear this huge loss”, read the letter.

The NFA has also written to the Confederation of African Football, praying that a minute’s silence be observed for the departed player in Thursday’s African Youth Championship clash between Nigeria and Cameroon in Johannesburg. Olubayo Adefemi was a key member of the last Nigeria U-20 squad to win the African Youth Championship – in Benin Republic in 2005.

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