The Ayisat Yusuf Football Academy is in deep mourning following a devastating road accident that claimed the life of a young player and left several others injured while traveling to honor a league fixture.
The tragic incident occurred as the team journeyed from Ikenne, Ogun State, heading toward the Olympic Pitch in Sanya, Ijesha, Lagos State, for a scheduled match. According to Academy management, the crash has plunged the entire sporting family into profound grief, cutting short the bright futures and aspirations of young athletes who represent the heart and soul of the institution.
While one beloved player tragically lost her life on the spot, multiple other players and the team driver sustained varying degrees of injuries. The wounded have been rushed for urgent medical care, with several undergoing critical medical evaluations as medical personnel battle to stabilize them.
In a deeply moving official statement released by the club’s Chief Executive Officer, former international Ayisat Yusuf, the academy expressed heartbreak over the catastrophe, noting that the victims are not merely members of a football squad, but cherished children and family members.
“As a family, this is a moment of immense pain for us. Beyond being members of a football team, these girls are our children, our family and a huge part of everything we have built together. Losing one of them is a pain that is difficult to put into words,” the statement read.
The Academy has extended its deepest condolences to the grieving family of the departed player, offering prayers for divine strength to bear the irreparable loss. At the same time, management has strongly rallied behind the injured players and the team driver, assuring them of unyielding support through their recovery process.
As the football fraternity reels from this somber development, Ayisat Yusuf has appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, sports partners, friends, and the general public to keep the academy, the surviving victims, and the bereaved family in their thoughts and prayers during this exceptionally dark hour. The club has promised to keep the public updated as more information regarding the health and recovery of the injured survivors becomes available.
