Nigeria: Adieu Olubayo Adefemi

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Peter Edema

22 April 2011

analysis

The bible admonishes in Ecclesiastes chapter three verse one that: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: It went further in the second verse to say that there is “A time to be born, And a time to die.” So last Monday, it was a time for the young promising Olubayo Adefemi, whose time to be born was August 13, 1985, to die. His death is painful in that he was expected to tie the nuptial knot next month. He was on his way to Nigeria from Greece wanting to take advantage of the one week holiday given him by his club to put finishing touches to his wedding plans, when he met his untimely death. All wedding plans and other future plans have all gone awry. A classical case of ‘man proposes, God disposes’.

And so it is “A time to weep” for the sudden passage of our brother and not “a time to laugh”. This is “A time to mourn” with his family, especially his would be wife, and not “a time to dance”. There are some deaths that call for celebration and dancing, but this did not one of them. For Adefemi, 25 years is not ripe for celebration. What is on the mind of everybody who loves him will be hope for a better future, not celebrating his death. As it is, this is the time to be silent. Because of the death of this young man, we cannot even embrace, for as the holy book admonishes, “a time to refrain from embracing.”

My first contact with him was during the African Youth Championship (AYC) in Benin Republic in 2005. He was a member of the team Samson Siasia took to the tournament. Things were very rough for the team as the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) could not muster enough funds for it. In one of my interactions with the players in their hotel, Adefemi never allowed the circumstances to affect him in any way as he kept urging his colleagues not to consider the circumstances but the urge to make a name not only for themselves but for the country.

He exuded confidence and was businesslike on the field. It was not surprising that he was a regular member of the team, but made the cut for the U-20 World Cup in Holland later in the year. When Siasia was asked to be in charge of the Beijing Olympics team, he was one of the team’s backbones in Beijing. Of particular importance was in the finals when he was asked to ensure that Argentine 2010 World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, was rendered ineffective. This he did excellently well with Messi unable to achieve much that he went to his defence. It was in the process of following him that his flank was left open and the only goal in the match was delivered through his position when Messi put through a long pass to a teammate that was lurking there.

At the mixed zone after the final which Nigeria lost 1-0, Adefemi showed remorse for being naive in following Messi all the way to his defence line without a look back at his position. Even while he refused to answer question, he was remorseful. But these are all part of history now. How are we to remember this young talent that served his country well when called upon to do so?

He will be remembered for his patriotism, businesslike approach to the game, a coach’s delight in that he plays according to instructions. He, according to his colleague, is a friendly pal. You can hardly get angry with him.

His teammate in Beijing, Chibuzor Okonkwo said of him: “He was a friend and a brother. He was a nice guy and friendly with everybody. Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, was lost for words in describing the player simply saying, “I don’t know what to say. He was a good player and a budding star who could have helped the Eagles’ cause.” His teammate both in Holland and Beijing, Ambrose Vanzeki, described him as not only friendly but also humble. Kola Ige, another colleague of his in Holland described him as a generous friend who was ready to assist in any little way. Said Ige: “When last he came to play for Nigeria, I went to Abuja to see him, he even gave me $200. That is how good he was.”

His football agent, Miguel Cladera Riera, said of him, “He was the only Nigerian player I was managing before he died. I had plans to come with him to Nigeria for his wedding but now I will be coming to Nigeria with so much pain in my heart. Bayo was a young man who was always humble, hardworking and ready to learn. His behaviour made me realise that Nigerian footballers are good and hardworking. I do not regret working with him because he has also helped me in my career as an agent and now I am ready to work with more Nigerian footballers because of him.”

To describe his death as tragic is just saying the obvious. Is it to his parents or his would-be wife or his brothers and sisters or to the country? What of his colleagues? What of those who depended on him for their livelihood? His agents, lawyers. But we take solace in the fact that though death is an inevitable end to all mankind, Jesus Christ has defeated death.

Like what Super Eagles assistant coach, Simon Kalika said, “I am thinking of Bayo’s family and his fiancée now, I mean how they would feel about his sudden death. It is so, so sad. Bayo was an embodiment of humility and discipline.”

He made his Super Eagles debut against Republic of Ireland on May 29, 2009. His second game was against France in a friendly that Nigeria won by one-nil. Before his death last Monday, Adefemi played for 10 clubs between 2001 and 2011. Bendel Insurance, Delta Force, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hakoah Ramat Gan, Hapoel Bnei Lod, Rapid Bucuresti, SC Rheindorf Altach and Boulogne. The late defender was still on the payroll of Xanthi Skoda before he died in Greece.

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