The League Management Company (LMC) has described the death of ex-international, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi as a huge loss to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the larger football family in the country.
In a tribute to the late football administrator, Shehu Dikko, LMC Chief Operating Officer (COO) said: "Chief Ogunjobi is one of the heroes of league football in Nigeria having captained IICC, a traditional club in our league system that stands today as an institution. He also later led the club as an administrator to the CAF Champions League finals before rising to the pinnacle of football administration in the country as Secretary General of the NFF."
The LMC also announced that a minute's silence would be observed before kick off at all NPFL Match Day 9 fixtures on Wednesday, while players and coaches are also to wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the late Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Ogunjobi, was reported dead on Monday, February 11 in Ibadan, during a brief illness at 65. His last public football outing was when Remo Stars hosted MFM FC of Lagos penultimate Wednesday at the Osogbo Township Stadium, in a NPFL Match Day 7 game which ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors.
“Ogunjobi in his life time was very passionate about football and while as Osun State FA Chairman, his state did not have a club participating in the NPFL, we always counted on him as one of the sound and effective Match Commissioners. There were hardly any issues in matches he commissioned and we would miss those stabilizing effect he brought to league match venues,” Dikko added.
'Skippo' as Ogunjobi, was fondly called by his admirers was the Chairman of Osun State Football Association until his death.
It will be recalled that Ogunjobi, who hailed from Ilesa, Osun State, played for the then IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), and captained the team to the finals of the 1984 Africa Champions League against Zamalek of Egypt.
Ogunjobi was also the Sole Administrator of 3SC when the team won the doubles in 1995 (the Challenge Cup and the Nigeria Professional League) and was also in charge as Chairman, when the
'Oluyole Warriors' lost in the final of the 1996 CAF Champions League to Zamalek of Egypt in a penalty shootout drama in Cairo.
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Caption: The late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.
Wednesday, February 13
Group A:
Remo Stars vs Kwara United
Niger Tornadoes vs Enyimba
Sunshine Stars vs Bendel Insurance
Katsina United vs MFM FC, Lagos
Wikki Tourists vs Lobi Stars
Rivers United vs Enugu Rangers (pp)
Group B:
Yobe Stars vs Plateau United
Kada City vs Kano Pillars
Go Round vs Nasarawa United
Abia Warriors vs Akwa United
FC IfeanyiUbah vs El-Kanemi Warriors
Heartland vs Gombe United
*MFM FC Lagos 3 Niger Tornadoes 2
Peter Abashuga -Tornadoes (5th minute)
Jonathan Osondu-Tornadoes (9th minute)
Abisoye Olawale -MFM (45th minute)
Micheal Ohanu -MFM (52nd minute)
Chuks Kennedium-MFM (90th minute)
*Enyimba 1 Remo Stars 0
Chukwuka Onuwa -83rd minute
*Kwara United 1 Wikki Tourists 0
Segun Alebiosu -25th minute
*Heartland 1 FC IfeanyiUbah 1
Joshua Akhabue -Heartland (16th minute)
Chijoke Alakwe -IfeanyiUbah (38th minute)
*Plateau United 1 Go Round FC 0
Jesse Akila -77th minute
*Kano Pillars 3 Yobe Stars 1
Rabiu Ali -Pillars
Chinedu Sunday -Pillars
David Ebuka -Pillars
Philip Auta -Yobe Stars (87th minute)
*El-Kanemi Warriors 1 Abia Warriors 0
Sunday Anthony -78th minute
*Gombe United 5 Nasarawa United 2
Abdulazeez Yusuf -Gombe (10th minute)
Emmanuel Makama-Nasarawa (19th minute)
Musa Usman -Gombe (22nd minute)
Abdulazeez Yusuf -Gombe (40th minute)
Adamu Mohammed-Gombe (57th minute)
Sunusi Ibrahim-Nasarawa (78th minute)
Musa Usman -Gombe (82nd minute)
*Akwa United 4 Kada City 0
Mfom Udoh -6th minute
Ndifreke Effiong -35, 65th minute
Wisdom Fernando--61st minute
*Sunshine Stars 2 Katsina United 0
Dayo Ojo -67th minute
Fouhad Ekelojuoti -90+7 minutes
Sunday, February 10
Group A
Kwara Utd vs Wikki Tourists
Enyimba vs Remo Stars
MFM FC, Lagos vs Niger Tornadoes
Lobi Stars vs Rivers United
Bendel Insurance vs Enugu Rangers
Group B
Kano Pillars vs Yobe Stars
Plateau United vs Go Round
El-Kanemi Warriors vs Abia Warriors
Heartland vs FC IfeanyiUbah
Monday, February 11
Sunshine Stars vs Katsina Utd
Gombe Utd vs Nasarawa Utd
Akwa Utd vs Kada City
*Wikki Tourists 2 Enyimba 1
Abdulrahman Bashir -Enyimba (10th minute)
Abba Umar -Wikki (28th, 48th minute)
*Rivers United 0 Kwara United 0
*Remo Stars 0 MFM FC, Lagos 1
Adeniji Kabir -13th minute
*Niger Tornadoes 1 Sunshine Stars 0
Awwal Tanko - 13th minute
*Katsina United 2 Bendel Insurance 1
*Enugu Rangers ?Lobi Stars ?
*Go Round FC 2 Kano Pillars 1
*Yobe Stars 0 Akwa United 1
Mfom Udoh-30th minute
*Nasarawa United 2 Plateau United 1
Sanusi Ibrahim -Nasarawa (7th minute)
Adeshola Johnson - Nasarawa (54th minute)
Emmanuel Odafe -Plateau (90+3 minute)
*Kada City 2 El-Kanemi Warriors 1
Abubakar Umar -El-Kanemi (16th minute)
Anayo Iwuala -Kada
Kabiru Sanusi -Kada
*Abia Warriors 1 Heartland FC 0
Samson Obi -25th minute.
*FC IfeanyiUbah 2 Gombe United 0
Ikenna Cooper
Nonso Nzediegwu
Wednesday, February 6
Group A
Rivers United vs Kwara United
Remo Stars vs MFM FC, Lagos
Enugu Rangers vs Lobi Stars
Group B
Go Round FC vs Kano Pillars
Yobe Stars vs Akwa United
Kada City vs El-Kanemi
Abia Warriors vs Heartland FC
FC IfeanyiUbah vs Gombe United
Thursday, February 7
Group A
Wikki Tourists vs Enyimba
Group B
Nasarawa Utd vs Plateau United
Niger Tornadoes vs Sunshine Stars
Katsina United vs Bendel Insurance
........................................
*Enyimba 2 Rivers United 0
Abdulrahman Bashir
Wasiu Alalade
*MFM FC, Lagos 1 Wikki Tourists 0
Chijoke Akuneto
*Sunshine Stars 2 Remo Stars 1
Fuad Ekelojuojti -Sunshine (2nd minute)
Bright Akpojuvwevwo -Remo Stars (5th minute)
Alaba Adeniji -Sunshine Stars (57th minute)
*Katsina United 3 Niger Tornadoes 1
Martins Usule,
Tasiu Lawal (brace)
Eric Frimpong - Tornadoes
*FC Ifeanyi Ubah 1 Abia Warriors 2
Emmanuel Ugwuka -IfUbah (3rd minute)
Samson Obi equalised -Abia Warriors
Shedrack Asiegbu -Abia Warriors (59th minute)
*Kano Pillars 3 Nasarawa United 0
Adamu Hassan (brace)
Chinedu Sunday
*El-Kanemi Warriors 2 Yobe Stars 1
Abubakar Umar-El-Kanemi
Abdullahi Usman-Yobe Stars
Isiaka Olawale -El-Kanemi
*Gombe United 0 Plateau United 0
*Bendel Insurance 1 Lobi Stars 0
Charles Omokaro (69th minute)
