Tijani Babangida Net Worth: Profile, Age, Accident, Wife, Brother, Stats, Achievements, How Rich is he in 2024?
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Everything you need to know about former Ajax and Nigeria winger Tijani Babangida, including his Profile, Age, Net Worth, Wife, Brother, Horrific Accident, Achievements

Tijani Babangida Net Worth: Profile, Age, Accident, Wife, Brother, Stats, Achievements, How Rich is he in 2024?

Seye Omidiora 18:10 - 25.09.2024

Everything you need to know about former Ajax and Nigeria winger Tijani Babangida, including his Profile, Age, Net Worth, Wife, Brother, Horrific Accident and Achievements.

Tijani Babangida background

Tijani Babangida is a Nigerian former professional footballer, who played as a right winger during his active days, impressing with his aggressive ball-carrying. 

The erstwhile wide attacker represented Eredivisie giants Ajax for a dominant portion of his career as well as other Dutch sides VVV-Venlo, Roda JC and Vitesse. Before calling time on his career, he also had spells in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China. 

Babangida made 36 appearances for Nigeria, even if his crowning glory came with the U23 side at the 1996 Olympics, where the West African nation claimed a gold medal in the Men's Olympic Football Tournament.

Tijani Babangida Profile

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida at the 1998 World Cup (Credit: Imago)

Full name: Tijani Babangida

Birth date: September 25, 1973

Nationality: Nigerian 

Place of birth: Kaduna, Nigeria 

Age: 51 years old (as of September 25, 2024) 

Position: Winger 

Height: 5 ft 7 in or 169 centimetres

Marital status: Married

How old is Tijani Babangida? (Tijani Babangida Age)

Tijani Babangida is 51 years old as of September 25, 2024. 

Tijani Babangida Club Career

After playing for Arewa Textiles and Niger Tornadoes, Tijani Babangida secured a move abroad after the Cairo All-African Games in 1991. 

Babangida joined Roda in 1991 but was sent to VVV-Venlo on loan for the 1991-92 campaign, making six appearances and netting three goals, even if it could not prevent Eredivisie relegation.

The winger stayed on loan for another year and had an outstanding campaign in the second division, notching 16 goals in 28 appearances as the Venlo-based club claimed the Eerste Divisie title, prompting a return to his parent club. Three admirable seasons saw Babangida secure a breakthrough move to Ajax in 1996 for a reported €5 million transfer fee. 

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida joined Ajax in 1996 (Credit: Imago)

The Nigerian became a pivotal player under Louis van Gaal and notched three titles at the Dutch giants, including a league and cup double in the 1997-98 season. Cup success followed the next season despite a disappointing title defence that saw de Joden finish sixth, 23 points off champions Feyenoord.

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida in action for Ajax (Credit: Imago)

As he became a fringe player with the Eredivisie giants, a temporary loan spell with Genclerbirligi brought domestic cup success for the Turkish side in 2001 and further loan spells at Vitesse and Saudi side Al-Ittihad, with the latter bringing league success in the Saudi Premier League.

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida played for Vitesse in the latter years of his career (Credit: Imago)

He played for Chinese side Changchun Yatai, making 29 appearances before retiring in 2004. 

Tijani Babangida International Career

Often limited by Finidi George being managers’ preference for the right-wing berth, Tijani Babangida played second fiddle to the erstwhile Ajax winger in the national team. 

Tijani Babangida
Finidi George was often preferred to Tijani Babangida (No. 13) on the right wing for Nigeria (Credit: Imago)

Regardless, Babangida featured 36 times for the Super Eagles after a debut against Romania in 1994. Babangida played at the 1998 World Cup, finding the back of the net against Denmark as Nigeria exited at the round of 16 in France. 

The winger was also involved in two Africa Cup of Nations campaigns in 2000 and two years later, notching silver in the former and claiming bronze two years later.

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida (No.13) played with Sunday Oliseh and Jay-Jay Okocha (Credit: Imago)

While he never claimed a senior international honour, Babangida was part of the Olympic group that stunned Brazil and Argentina en route to an unexpected gold medal in Atlanta, featuring in every game and playing 90 minutes in the decider.

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida (No. 7) played every game for Nigeria at the 1996 Olympics (Credit: Imago)

Tijani Babangida Career Achievements

Club Level

Eerste Divisie: 1992-93

Eredivisie: 1997-98

KNVB Cup: 1997-98, 1998-99

Turkish Cup: 2000-01

Saudi Pro League (then Saudi Premier League): 2002-03

International Level 

Nigeria U23

Summer Olympics: 1996

Tijani Babangida Stats

According to National Football Teams, Tijani Babangida played 249 club career games before retiring, scoring 76 times. According to Transfermarkt, the former winger received nine yellow cards and was sent off on one occasion. 

Most of Babangida's appearances came in the Eredivisie, where the former winger played 175 times and scored 49 goals. The retired winger featured 14 times in the Champions League and played nine UEFA Cup (now Europa League) matches in his career.

Tijani Babangida
Tijani Babangida played 175 times in the Eredivisie (Credit: Imago)

For Nigeria's national team, Babangida played 36 times and notched five goals. He made 10 appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring twice and featured four times at the 1998 World Cup finals in France, scoring the Super Eagles' only goal in their last-16 4-1 defeat at the hands of Denmark.

Tijani Babangida Personal life

Tijani Babangida comes from a large family, and he had at least nine brothers, two of whom — Ibrahim and Haruna — were also footballers. 

His younger brother, Ibrahim, tragically died in a car accident in May 2024. The accident also involved Babangida's wife, who reportedly sustained an eye injury. 

Babangida was previously married to Rabah — Daniel Amokachi's sister-in-law — but they are no longer together.

Tijani Babangida Accident

On May 9, 2024, news broke that former Super Eagles star Tijani Babangida was involved in a horrific car accident that resulted in his brother's death

These reports claimed that Babangida was travelling with his brother, Ibrahim, when the accident occurred near Zaria, tragically claiming the life of Babangida's brother and ultimately his one-year-old son - Fadil – while his wife – Maryam - was in the ICU at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria after facial surgery. Tijani was said to be in critical but stable condition. 

The retired player was transferred to Abuja from the teaching hospital in Zaria and was paid a condolence visit by Nigeria Football Federation president, Ibrahim Gusau, along with an NFF delegation that included former Nigeria international Augustine Eguavoen.

Tijani Babangida Wife

Tijani Babangida’s wife is Maryam, born November 9, 1992. She is 31 years old as of July 2024.

According to the Daily Trust, the retired footballer and his wife — then Maryam Musa Waziri — a Kannywood actress tied the knot on November 26, 2021, in Gombe. 

They had a son together, but the one-year-old Fadeel lost his life after complications resulting from a road accident in May 2024. 

Tijani Babaginda
Tijani Babaginda, his wife Maryam and their late son, Fadeel (Credit: @maryamwazeery/Instagram)

Babangida was previously married to Amokachi’s sister-in-law, Rabah. 

Tijani Babangida Net Worth

While publicly available figures for Tijani Babangida’s net worth are unavailable since his retirement from playing, his successful football career and various appointments and contracts under the Nigerian government suggest he is likely in a comfortable financial position. 

Several estimates believe his net worth is around $5 million. 

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