Former Sunshine Stars, Rising Stars FC, Adamimogo FC, and Akure City FC head coach Adepoju Banjo Ayodeji has called on Nigeria’s football league authorities to enforce mandatory medical tests for coaches and backroom staff during the registration of all league teams nationwide, Yohaig NG reports.
Ayodeji’s appeal follows the sudden death of Shooting Stars coach Akin Olowookere, who collapsed and died in the early hours of Monday, 11th August 2025. He stressed that compulsory health checks could help detect underlying medical issues, potentially preventing avoidable tragedies in the sport.
Editorial
We agree with Coach Ayodeji health should never be an afterthought in football. While players undergo rigorous fitness and medical assessments, the same standard is rarely applied to the coaches and staff who guide them. This oversight leaves a gap in the welfare system of Nigerian football.
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The sudden loss of Coach Olowookere is a painful reminder that health risks are not confined to the pitch. A simple medical screening policy could save lives, ensuring early detection of conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late.
It’s time for the football authorities to extend the same duty of care to the technical teams as they do to players. We cannot afford to wait for more tragedies to prompt action. Proactive health testing must become part of our football culture, not just a reaction to loss.
Did You Know?
- The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) mandates player medicals but has no nationwide requirement for coaching staff.
- FIFA’s club licensing system recommends health and safety policies for all team members, though enforcement varies by country.
- In many European leagues, coaching staff undergo yearly cardiovascular screenings alongside players.
- Heart disease is one of the leading causes of sudden death in sports professionals over the age of 40.
- The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has no explicit regulation for coach medical testing in its club competitions.
