Happy birthday, Tijani Babangida.
The super fast winger from Nigeria scored one of the most memorable goals in Ajax's Champions League history, with barely a minute of extra time left to play.
On the 19th of March 1997, Ajax travelled to the Vicente Calderón for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid. The home game ended in 1-1 and the away game was tied at 2-2 deep into extra time.
Babangida picked up a deflected pass on the right edge of the penalty area, and with Atlético's goalkeeper rushing out to close him down, calmly lifted the ball over him and into the empty net in the 119th minute. Ajax held on to win 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals.
Babangida sprinted straight to the touchline afterward for a celebratory embrace with manager Louis van Gaal, the last warm moment between the two of them, before Van Gaal left the club for Barcelona that summer.
The streets remember Baba.✨