Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, is dead

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai, popularly known as “Dodo Mayana” is dead.

He was 61.

He passed away in the early hours of Thursday after a prolonged illness, close family sources revealed.

A post on the official Super Eagles X Page also confirmed the death.

“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.

Rest well, Peter Rufai”

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A formal statement is yet to be issued by Peter Rufai’s family.

The death of the Nigerian legend comes on a dark day for the global football community, as it also grapples with the sudden passing of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain.

NFF mourns

“This is really, really shocking,” Nigerian Football Federation’s General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja. “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.”

Reports said the flamboyant goal-tender, who was in and out of the Nigeria senior team for 17 years, had been ill for some weeks, before giving up the ghost at a Lagos hospital at about 6 a.m. on Thursday.

Former Nigeria international midfielder Waidi Akanni also confirmed the incident.

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 swept to glory in the continental finals in Tunisia in 1994. He was the first-choice goalkeeper in the three championships.

The charismatic and disciplined goalkeeper also kept goal for Nigeria in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals (the Super Eagles made the Round of 16 on both occasions), and dedicated his post-retirement days to discovering and mentoring young players. He also served as the coordinator of the Nigeria U23 team at a time.

Apart from his memorable outings with the Super Eagles, Rufai 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 professionally in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Early life

Born on 24 August, 1963, in Oshodi, Lagos State, Peter Rufai rose from a royal lineage—his father was a king in Idimu.

Despite having the chance to assume his father’s throne after his passing in 1998, Rufai chose to remain committed to football, a sport that brought him fame and national pride.

Rufai’s professional journey began with Nigeria’s Stationery Stores and Femo Scorpions before moving abroad to play for clubs in Benin Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

His European club career included stints with KSC Lokeren, KSK Beveren, Go Ahead Eagles, SC Farense, Hércules CF, Deportivo La Coruña, and Gil Vicente. He retired in 2000 after a two-decade-long career.

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On the international stage, Rufai earned 65 caps for Nigeria and was a central figure in the Super Eagles squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

He also represented Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups and remains one of the few goalkeepers to score a goal for the national team, converting a penalty against Ethiopia in 1993.

In retirement, Rufai founded the Staruf Football Academy in Lagos, mentoring aspiring footballers and giving back to the sport that made him a legend.

He is survived by his wife, Mikaila Rufai, and children, including son Senbaty, who briefly played for Sunshine Stars in the Nigerian topflight.