Nigeria’s football community is mourning the death of former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, fondly called Dodomayana.
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Nigeria’s football community is mourning the death of former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, fondly called Dodomayana.
Rufai died on Thursday in Lagos at the age of 61, after a prolonged illness, according to family sources.
He captained Nigeria and featured in two FIFA World Cups — USA 1994 and France 1998 — becoming one of the country’s most celebrated goalkeepers.
Rufai earned 65 caps for the national team and played a key role in Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory in Tunisia.
He was the first Nigerian goalkeeper to play professionally in Europe, with spells in Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ex-international and former Super Eagles coach, Kadiri Ikhana, described Rufai’s death as a painful loss.
“Rufai was a dedicated sportsman who gave his all to the growth and development of football in Nigeria,” Ikhana told NAN.