President Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to late Super Eagles legend, Peter Rufai, describing him as a patriotic sportsman whose contributions to Nigerian and African football history will never be forgotten.
Rufai, who died at the age of 61, was eulogised in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. President Tinubu highlighted Rufai’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s football golden era, particularly as the first-choice goalkeeper during the country’s victorious 1994 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Tunisia and its debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year in the United States.
“Peter Rufai will be remembered as one of those patriotic sportsmen who wrote their names in gold in the sporting annals of Nigeria and the African continent,” Tinubu said.
The President also recalled Rufai’s participation in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, further cementing his legacy as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished goalkeepers.
He commended Rufai’s illustrious club career in Europe, where he featured for clubs in Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands—blazing a trail for future generations of Nigerian footballers seeking success on the global stage.
Beyond his football achievements, Rufai, a prince of the Royal House of Idimu in Lagos, founded the Staruf Football Academy, through which he dedicated his post-retirement years to mentoring and developing young talents.
“After he retired from active football, Peter continued to inspire, mentor, and nurture young footballers,” Tinubu said, offering prayers for the repose of his soul and comfort to his family, colleagues, and all who mourn him.
The President described Rufai as a composed, agile, and charismatic goalkeeper who earned 65 caps for the Super Eagles and helped lift Nigerian football to international prominence. His legacy, Tinubu said, remains firmly etched in the nation’s sporting memory.
