Late Peter Rufai.
Peter Rufai, former Super Eagles goalkeeper, a.k.a. Dodo Mayana, died Thursday at the age of 61 with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) expressing shock at the sad incident.
Waidi Akanni, a former team-mate and associate, confirmed the legendary goalkeeper’s death on Thursday.
Rufai died after a reported battle with long-term illness.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria also announced the demise of the former goalkeeper on the team’s official X account.
Read the post: “Forever in our hearts, Dodo Mayana. We mourn the passing of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, a giant of Nigerian football and a 1994 AFCON champion.
“Your legacy lives on between the sticks and beyond”.
Rufai made his debut for the then Green Eagles in a friendly match in December 1981.
He won the Africa Cup of Nations silver in 1984 and 1988, before Nigeria swept to glory in the continental finals in Tunisia in 1994.
Rufai is regarded as one of the best football goal keepers Nigeria has ever produced. He was the Eagles’ first-choice goal keeper when Nigeria won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He also represented Nigeria at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the US and the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
Rufai had over 60 caps for the Super Eagles over the course of a decade with the team.
In its reaction, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expressed shock at the former Super Eagles goalkeeping legend’s demise.
Reports say the flamboyant goal-tender, who was in and out of the Nigeria senior team for 17 years, had been ill for some weeks.
This was before giving up the ghost at a Lagos hospital at about 6 a.m. on Thursday.
A statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, said Nigeria football firmament turned pale on Thursday evening following Rufai’s death.
Mohammed Sanusi, NFF general secretary, was quoted as saying that the death came to the Federation as a rude shock, adding that the NFF wasn’t aware he had been ill.
Read the statement: “This is really, really shocking.
“Peter Rufai dead? What happened? I am perplexed. We did not even know that he had been ill.
“We earnestly pray to the Almighty God to grant him eternal rest, and to comfort all his loved ones, as well as the entire Nigeria football family”.
Olajire stated that former Nigeria international midfielder, Waidi Akanni, had confirmed that the body of Rufai had been deposited at a Lagos hospital mogue
He was the first-choice goalkeeper in the three championships.
The charismatic and disciplined goalkeeper was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals (the Super Eagles made the Round of 16 on both occasions).
Rufai dedicated his post-retirement days to discovering and mentoring young players and also served as the coordinator of the Nigeria U23 team at a time.
Apart from his memorable outings with the Super Eagles, he was an extraordinary figure at Lagos club, Stationery Stores, with whom he reached the final of the Africa Cup Winners Cup competition in 1981.
He also played professional football in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
