Adepoju, Toro mourn Rufai

One of the late Peter Rufai’s Super Eagles teammates, Mutiu Adepoju, has paid tribute to the iconic goalkeeper who passed away on Thursday at age 61.

Similarly, Mr Sani Toro, a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Association, also offered condolences over the death of the international goalkeeping legend.

Both Adepoju and Toro shared their thoughts in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

Adepoju described Rufai’s death as a painful loss, saying he was one of the longest-serving goalkeepers in the Super Eagles.

“It is a sad development that a former Super Eagles colleague is gone. I’ve not felt good since hearing about his death this afternoon.

“Late Rufai was a pleasant colleague, though our senior. He was already in the team before I joined the national squad.

“He was widely respected in the team. He taught us unity and team spirit and guided us when I newly joined the Super Eagles.

“He was also a jovial person, very enjoyable to be around whenever we were on the pitch or during camp,” Adepoju said.

Speaking on Rufai’s health, Adepoju said there was no prior report indicating he was unwell.

“I didn’t know he was sick. I tried calling him three months ago, but he didn’t answer.

“I later reached out to a relative who said he was fine. I later heard he had been ill and hospitalised.

“Perhaps the family wanted to keep it private. We must respect that. I honestly don’t know what the illness was,” Adepoju said.

On his part, Toro described Rufai as a reliable and disciplined individual, both on and off the pitch.

“Peter Rufai was dependable and committed, representing Nigeria at the 1990 AFCON in Algeria and the 1994 tournament in Tunisia.

“He also played in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He was a complete gentleman. I offer my heartfelt condolences,” Toro said.

Rufai, fondly called ‘Dodo Mayana’, began his football career at Stationery Stores of Lagos between 1980 and 1984.

He also played for K.S.C. Lokeren in Belgium, and later moved to Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands.

The goalkeeper featured for S.C. Farense in Portugal, Hércules CF and Deportivo La Coruña in Spain, and later for Vicente FC in Portugal.

Rufai’s senior national team career spanned eight years, from 1990 to 1998, during which he earned 65 international caps.

He represented Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, as well as several African Cup of Nations tournaments.

Notably, Rufai was also a Lagos Prince, respected for his calm demeanour both on and off the pitch.