Nff cries while the legend of the Nigeria goalkeeper Peter Rufai dies at 61

The football firmament of Nigeria became pale on Thursday evening after it was confirmed that the goalkeeper of the first choice of the world of the Fifa World Cup of the country Peter Rufai had died in Lagos following a period of illness.

“This is really, truly shocking,” he told Abuja, secretary general of the NFF, dr. Mohammed Sanusi. “Peter Rufai dead? What happened? I’m perplexed. We didn’t even know he had been sick.

“We seriously pray to the omnipotent God to grant him eternal rest and to comfort all his loved ones and the entire Nigeria football family.”

Reports reported that the Flambayant Goal-ten, who was inside and outside the Senior team of Nigeria for 17 years, was sick for a few weeks, before giving up the ghost in a Lagos hospital at 6 on Thursday.

Waidi Akanni, a former Nigeria international midfielder, confirmed that the body of one of the real heroes of Nigeria football had been deposited in a hospital in Lagos.

Rufai made his debut for then Green Eagles in a friendly match in December 1981 and won the Africa Cup of Nations Silver in 1984 and 1988, before Nigeria spiked to glory in the continental finals in Tunisia in 1994. It was the goalkeeper of the first choice of the three championships.

The charismatic and disciplined goalkeeper also kept the goal for Nigeria in the finals of the Fifa World Cup of 1994 and 1998 (the Super Eagles made the round of 16 in both occasions) and dedicated his post-surrender days to the discovery and tutoring of young players. He also worked as coordinator of the Nigeria U23 team at a time.

Apart from his memorable releases with the Super Eagles, Rufai was an extraordinary figure at the Lagos Club, to the stationery articles stores, with which he reached the final of the Cup of the Africa Cup Cup in 1981. He also played professionally in Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

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