Former Nigeria Defender And NFF Secretary Is Dead

Former international defender and Nigeria Football Federation secretary-general Taiwo Ogunjobi has died suddenly in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria.

He served as secretary-general of then Nigeria Football Association between 2002 and 2005 and was a member of the NFF Executive Committee between 2006 and 2010.

His death comes 35 years to the day after he made his debut for Nigeria in an Olympic qualifier against Morocco.

"He was in hospital on Saturday and doctors ordered a bed rest, but he passed away Monday morning in Ibadan," his personal assistant and Osun United FC spokesman, Tunde Shamsudeen, told BBC Sport.

The hospital did not give any further details about his illness.

"Our prayers are with his family, relatives and the football family in Nigeria," the NFF posted on its Twitter feed.

Ogunjobi was twice an NFF presidential candidate and lost on both occasions to the incumbent Amaju Pinnick.

A football administrator for more than two decades, he was the chairman of Osun State Football Association before his death and his name was synonymous with the country's game.

Ogunjobi captained and administered one of the country's traditional powerhouse clubs, Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

He was the captain of the Shooting Stars team that reached the final of the then Africa Cup of Champions Clubs (the precursor to the African Champions league) in 1984.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing after two investigations into accusations of wrongdoing.

In the first, he and three other top officials were arrested amid accusations that some US$8m went missing during the 2010 World Cup finals.

Then in October 2013 after he was banned for 10 years by the NFF for his role in the transfer of a former youth international.