To support him and his family, the Baba Friends’ Day was organised at the beginning of September. The stadium of Roda JC, where Baba, who turned 52 on 25 September, also played, formed the setting. Former teammates, coaches, and friends from his old clubs, VVV-Venlo, Roda JC, and Ajax, came together to support him, not only in friendship but also financially. Through an auction, money was raised to support Baba and his family in these difficult times. All under the motto: ‘If a friend is in trouble, you must help him.’
Memories, support and solidarity
It became a day filled with memories, support, and solidarity. More than 300 guests were present, including around fifty former professional footballers. Among those present were former Ajax players Ronald de Boer, Sjaak Swart, Danny Blind, and Kiki Musampa. The same word kept coming up when people spoke about Baba: cheerful.
De Boer played behind Babangida for years and knew his runs like no one else. “I must have sent him through hundreds of times. It was wonderful to have someone who always looked to go in behind. Nowadays, everyone wants the ball to feet, but Baba would just run, and he was always the fastest.” De Boer remembers goals against PSV in the cup final and Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. “That composure with that little dink over the keeper… fantastic. If he felt comfortable, he was unstoppable.”
Swart saw the same danger. “He always had something different on the pitch. When he played against Frank de Boer, he would knock the ball past him and be off, ‘on the motorbike’. Frank did not have it easy against him. But what I found even better: he always laughed. That was typically Baba.”
Yet Babangida was not a man of many words. “He was big in football, but he wasn’t a vocal leader on the pitch,” De Boer continues. “I remember once at Feyenoord, thousands of supporters and riot police buses surrounded us. Baba stood next to me in the urinal, shaking all over. ‘I can’t play, I can’t play,’ he said, trembling. That showed his vulnerability. He is a gentle person. As my mother would say: a sweetheart.”
Cheerful, mischievous, kind
Anyone describing Babangida almost automatically comes to his character. Musampa characterises his former team-mate in three words: “Cheerful, open and good. He always had an eye for others. Sometimes you almost had to tell him, 'Baba, you should have done this yourself.' That’s how selfless he was.”
Blind also mentions and praises his positivity. “Cheerful, mischievous, kind. That’s how I see him. Even though in his career he often had to fight the prejudice that he only had speed. But with that speed and his agility, he still built a wonderful career. The fact that so many people came here says everything about the goodwill he has.”
Alfons Groenendijk, who, like Baba, played for both Ajax and Roda JC, calls him a gem. “He did so much on intuition. You never knew what was coming; sometimes, he didn’t even know himself. That made him unpredictable and loved by the fans. For players like that, you come to the stadium.”
Baba: the player and his career
Babangida was a lightning-fast right winger known for his speed and agility. He began his career at Roda JC and later also played for VVV-Venlo, Ajax and Vitesse in the Netherlands. At Ajax, he played 102 matches between 1996 and 2000, scoring 24 goals. The African won a league title and two KNVB Cups during that period.
Baba also played in the Champions League for Ajax. Echoing Blind, De Boer sums up Baba’s strength well: “He knew his speed was his weapon. And he used it very well. If you know your quality well, that’s already a very good weapon. He knew that exactly.”
Babangida won 36 caps for Nigeria. The winger made his debut in 1994 and played four matches at the 1998 World Cup in France. He took part in two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games with the Nigerian team.
Baba’s day
For Ajax, Babangida was the lightning-fast right winger who could be decisive with his runs. But at the Baba Friends’ Day, it was above all the man behind the player who shone: a cheerful, modest man who managed to win everyone over, on and off the pitch. Or, in the words of former captain Blind: “At that time, nobody at Ajax was indispensable. However, the fact that so many people are here today speaks volumes. About Baba as a footballer, but above all about Baba as a person.”
The warmth and support Babangida is receiving after the accident was visibly evident during Baba Friends’ Day. “For Baba, it’s a very special day. The boy has been through a lot, and then it’s wonderful that so many former players and coaches have come here,” said Swart.
The warmth and support Babangida is receiving after the accident was visibly evident during Baba Friends’ Day. “For Baba, it’s a very special day. The boy has been through a lot, and then it’s wonderful that so many former players and coaches have come here,” said Swart.
Musampa emphasises the same: “What he has been through, you wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s beautiful that so many people are contributing, that he has so many friends. Actually, it doesn’t surprise me, because he is simply a good man.” Groenendijk sums up the day: “Let this be a day he never forgets. He feels that there are so many people who care deeply about him.”
Together behind Baba
The Baba Friends’ Day showed the depth of connection. Ronald de Boer noted that it’s not just about money, but about the signal that Baba is not alone: “It’s fantastic to see that everyone is so involved. Not only former colleagues, but also people who knew him from other clubs or simply admirers.”
During Baba Friends’ Day, several special items were auctioned, including worn shirts, signed items, and other unique collector’s items. The proceeds from the auction and donations go directly to the charity Stichting Support Baba, which covers all medical and accommodation costs for Baba and his wife.
Would you also like to support Babangida? You can do so via www.supportbaba.nl.
