Former Super Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has called for the immortalization of late Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai, describing him as "an icon of Nigerian football."
Rufai, fondly known as 'Dodo Mayana,' passed away on Thursday following a prolonged illness that had kept him unwell for some time.
Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Eguavoen, who was once Rufai's teammate, expressed shock at the news of his death.
"I was driving, I was on the highway back from the office to the house when the news came," Eguavoen said.
A Call for Recognition
Eguavoen emphasized that Rufai deserves to be honored permanently in Nigerian sports history. "He should be immortalized, Dodo is an icon. A stadium or statue should be erected somewhere, it won't be too much," he stated.
The former coach also lamented that more could have been done to help Rufai during his illness. "From the information we got, he was quite ill and if he spoke out and needed N100 million, I don't think Nigerians would be silent. One or two persons would raise that money. It's quite unfortunate what happened has happened," he added.
Tributes Pour In
Rufai's death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from prominent Nigerians. President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that Rufai "wrote his name in gold," while former presidential candidate Peter Obi stated that Rufai "gave his all for Nigeria."
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the late goalkeeper as "simply unbeatable," and Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa bid farewell with the words "Fly high, Dodomayana."
Former Super Eagles captain Nwankwo Kanu called Rufai's passing "a dark day in football," while the current Super Eagles team also expressed their condolences.
Peter Rufai represented Nigeria in two World Cups (1994 and 1998) and was part of the squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, cementing his legacy as one of Nigeria's greatest goalkeepers.
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