Tributes Pour In As Peter Rufai Dies At 61

The great Super Eagles goalie Peter Rufai passed away on July 3, 2025 at the age of 61, leaving Nigeria’s sports community in shock. Rufai, affectionately referred to as “Dodo Mayana,” was more than just a goalie; he was a trailblazer, a cultural hero, and a representation of Nigeria’s footballing golden age.

As the first Nigerian goalkeeper to play professional football in Europe, Rufai created history by playing for teams like Deportivo La Coruña and Hércules CF in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. Rufai broke down boundaries and created opportunities for future generations during a period when African goalkeepers were not widely acknowledged elsewhere.

He was Nigeria’s top player at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, and he is most remembered for leading the Super Eagles to victory in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, which solidified the team’s legacy in African football.

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The former goalie died following a protracted illness that he had privately treated in recent years, the Rufai family said in a statement. He passed away quietly in the company of his close relatives at his Lagos home.

An outpouring of respect and grief has poured in since the news broke. Rufai is “a national treasure who inspired millions with his discipline, humility, and sporting excellence,” according to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. His passing was described as “a monumental loss for the entire sporting fraternity in Africa” by Senator John Owan Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports.

In their moving remembrances, former teammates Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, and Daniel Amokachi referred to Rufai as a “pillar in Nigeria’s rise to international recognition in the 1990s.”

Rufai was well-known for his leadership and charitable endeavors outside of football. Following his retirement, he established a sports development organization that specialized in instructing goalies and youth training. Additionally, he visited schools and athletic academies throughout West Africa for a brief period of time as a motivational speaker and sports ambassador.

Rufai’s departure added to the sorrow of the event because it happened at the same time as another tragedy in the world of football: Portuguese striker Diogo Jota died earlier this week in a car accident. Even though they are unrelated, the timing of both deaths has caused both professionals and spectators to ponder somberly, underscoring the frailty of life even for elite sportsmen.

There are even talks about renaming a significant stadium or sports program in Rufai’s honor as Nigeria gets ready to commemorate him with a burial that is probably being aided by the state. Many people believe that his legacy should be preserved, not only for his on-field heroics but also for the pride and hope he instilled in a whole country.