NFF mourns Garba Ubaliyo

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed great sadness over the death on Wednesday last week of a former Board Member of the Federation, Alhaji Garba Ubaliyo.

Ubaliyo, a highly-respected football administrator, was the pioneer chairman of El-Kanemi Football Club of Maiduguri and was Member of the then NFA Board headed by Col. Abdulmumuni Aminu (rtd) between 1993 and 1996.

“We mourn the passing away of this great administrator who, no doubt, left his giant footprints in the sands of time.

“We remember the wonderful contributions of the late Garba Ubaliyo to the development of Nigeria football, through his visionary and diligent management of El-Kanemi FC of Maiduguri, his tireless pursuit of the growth of the game and his boundless energy, enthusiasm and dignified carriage”, wrote NFF President Aminu Maigari in a letter to the Yobe State government.


Ubaliyo was known all over the land for the meteoric rise of El-Kanemi, incidentally founded by Colonel Abdulmumuni Aminu (rtd), and his meaningful contributions while on the then NFA Board. The Borno club won the most glamorous title in the land, the then FA Cup (now Federation Cup) in 1992 and reached the semi finals of the African Cup Winners Cup in 1993.

“Ubaliyo’s death at this time has robbed us of a man who can seamlessly and tirelessly contribute to the development of the Nigeria game. His great ideas, suggestions and advice would have continued to help our game in one way or the other”, mourned Maigari.