On Thursday, the nation was thrown into mourning over the loss of former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai who died after a prolonged illness. He was part of the glorious 1994 team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
His death came as a shock to many football fans in Nigeria and beyond. Here, we take a look at other members of that Class of 1994 who are no more.
Rashidi Yekini: He scored 37 goals in 62 appearances for the Super eagles. He remains the team’s record goalscorer. He also scored Nigeria’s first ever world cup goal. Yekini died in Ibadan on 4th May 2012 at 48.
Wilfred Agbonavbare: The goalkeeper was also part of the 1994 team and was backup for Peter Rufai. He died on January 27, 2015 at 48.
Uche Okafor: Okafor was a prominent member of the title-winning team and played every match for the Super Eagles in the tournament. He also made it to the 1994 World Cup. Okafor died in 2011 in his home in Dallas, USA.
Thompson Oliha: He made a total of 31 appearances for the team and made his last appearance for the team in 1994. He died in 2013 after complications from malaria.
Stephen Keshi: The big boss as he was called was the captain of the team. He led the Super Eagles to victory as captain in the tournament and also played at the 1994 World Cup. Keshi later led the Super Eagles as coach to win the AFCON in 2013. He died in 2016 at 54.
Tributes continue to pour in for the legendary goalkeeper from the Nigeria Football Federation, the National Sports Commission, former teammates and fans of the Super Eagles.
