Tunji Babajide Banjo (born 19 February 1960) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Leyton Orient, AEL Limassol and the Nigeria national football team.

Tunji Banjo
Personal information
Full name Tunji Babajide Banjo
Date of birth (1960-02-19) 19 February 1960 (age 64)
Place of birth Kensington, London, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1982 Leyton Orient 27 (1)
1982–? AEL Limassol
1987–1988 Leyton Orient 0 (0)
International career
1980–1981 Nigeria 7
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

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Tunji Babajide Banjo was born on 19 February 1960 in Kensington, London, and played schoolboy football for Brent, Middlesex and London Schools before joining Leyton Orient as an apprentice in 1977.[2] After two substitute appearances, including an appearance in the 1978 FA Cup semifinal against Arsenal,[3] Banjo made his full debut in the first team in a 3–0 win against Burnley on 18 April 1978 and went on to make 27 league appearances for Orient.[2] He was released in May 1982 and joined Cypriot club AEL Limassol where he suffered a bad ankle injury.[2][3] He returned to Orient for the 1987–88 season as a non-contract player but made no further appearances for the club.[2]

Banjo was eligible for the Nigeria national football team through his father and made his international debut against Tunisia in Lagos in 1980.[2][3] He gained a total of seven caps for Nigeria.[2][4]

References

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  1. ^ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 264. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kaufman, Neilson N; Ravenhill, Alan E (2002). The Men Who Made Leyton Orient Football Club. Tempus Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 0752424122.
  3. ^ a b c "Remember Nigerian footballer Tunji Banjo? He now works on the train". Chronicle (Nigeria). 8 April 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  4. ^ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2010). Sky Sports football yearbook 2010-2011. London: Headline. p. 226. ISBN 978-0-7553-6106-9. Retrieved 3 October 2020 – via Internet Archive.