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Speaker 1: Nigeria, President Bola Hmed Tanubu has joined millions of sports

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lovers in Nigeria and across the globe to warn the

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death of ex Super Eagles iconic goalkeeper Peter Rufi, fondly

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called Dodomayana, with the President describing the football legend as

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a great patriotic citizen who hailed from a royal family

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and brushed aside the glamour and privileges of a royal

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family to become one of the first set of professional

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football players in Nigeria and one of the patriotic sportsmen

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who wrote the names in gold in the annals of

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sports in Nigeria and Africa continent in general. According to

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President Bola Hmed Tanubu in a press release issued by

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the Presidential Spokesperson, BeO Onoanuga and made available soon after

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the death of Peter Rufai was announced on Thursday evening,

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Peter Rufai was an animitable goalkeeper. In quotes, the statement reads,

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President Bola Hmed Tanubu expresses great sadness of the passing

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of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai, who was sixty one.

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The President condoles with the Rufai family friends and football

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enthusiasts on the demise of the inimitable goalkeeper, fondly called

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Dodomaiana by his numerous fans and football lovers all over Nigeria.

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President Tanubu notes that Peter Rufai would be remembered as

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one of those patriotic sportsmen who wrote the names in

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gold in the sporting annals of Nigeria and the African continent.

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I recall with fond memories the heroic contributions of Peter

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Rufai in the historic victory of the Super Eagles at

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the nineteen ninety four edition of the Africa Cup of

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Nations in Tunisias. The first choice goalkeeper followed up with

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Nigeria’s equally epoch, making first appearance at the FIFA World

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Cup Competition WUSA ninety four. Rufai was also a strong

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member of the team at the subsequent edition of the

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competition in France in nineteen ninety eight. Having started his

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career with stationary Stores of Labor in nineteen eighty, Rufai

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was one of the earliest footballers in Nigeria to go professional,

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playing in many European countries including Belgium, Spain, Portugal and

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the Netherlands, bringing honor to the nation and opening a

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new window of opportunities for young footballers in Nigeria. President

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Tanubu says after he retired from active football, Peter, a

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Prince of the Royal House in Adimu, Lagos, set up

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the Staru Football Academy, where he continued to inspire, mentor

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and nurture young footballers. President Tanubu praise for comfort for

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all who mourn Rufais loss and for the repose of

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Rufai su July third, twenty twenty five was more or

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less like a black Thursday for football lovers across the globe,

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as the death of the Nigerian legend comes as a

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dark day for the global football community. It also coincided

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with the southern passing of a Portugal borne Liverpool forward

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Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain

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alongside his brother. Multiple reports indicated that Peter Rufi passed

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away in the early hours of Thursday after a prolonged illness,

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according to close family and friends. A post on the

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official Super Eagle’s ex page also confirmed the death. Forever

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in our Hearts Dodo Mayana we mourn the passing of

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legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufi, a giant of Nigerian

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football and a nineteen ninety four Afcon champion. Your legacy

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lives on between the Styx and beyond rest Well, Peter Rufi.

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Nigeria Football Federation n FF, in a statement said, this

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is really really shocking. Nigerian Football Federation’s General Secretary, Mohammad

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Sanusi said in Abuja, Peter Rufi dead. What happened? I

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am perplexed. We did not even know that he had

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been ill. We earnestly pray to the Almighty God to

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grant him eternal rest and to comfort all his loved

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ones as well as the entire Nigeria football family. Many

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media reported that the superstar goalkeeper, who was in and

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out of the Nigeria senior team four seventeen years, had

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been ill for some weeks before giving up the ghost

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of the Lagos hospital at about six a m. On Thursday.

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It would that Rufi made his debut for then Green

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Eagles in a friendly match in December nineteen eighty one

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and won the Africa Cup of Nation silver in nineteen

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eighty four and nineteen eighty eight before Nigeria swept to

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glory in the Continental finals in Tunisia in nineteen ninety four.

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He was the first choice goalkeeper in the three championships.

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The highly praised goalkeeper also kept goals for Nigeria in

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the nineteen ninety four and nineteen ninety eight fee for

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World Cup finals. The Super Eagles made the round of

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sixteen on both occasions and dedicated his post retirement days

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to discovering and mentoring young players. He also served as

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the coordinator of Nigeria under twenty three team at a time.

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Rufai was also reported to be an extraordinary figure at

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Lagos Club Stationary Stores, with whom he reached the final

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of the Africa Cup Winners Cup competition in nineteen eighty one.

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He also played professionally in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

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Born on the twenty fourth of August nineteen sixty three

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in a Shodi, Lagos State, Peter Rufai rose from a

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royal lineage. His father was a king in a Demu.

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Hulse Sports reported that despite having the chance to assume

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his father’s throne after his passing in nineteen ninety eight,

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Rufai chose to remain committed to football, a sport that

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brought him fame and national pride. Rufai’s professional journey began

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with Nigeria’s Stationary Stores and FEMO Scorpions, before moving abroad

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to play for clubs in Benin Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands,

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Portugal and Spain. His European club career included stints with

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KA C, locren Ks, k Baveran, Go Ahead Eagles, Scafarens, Hercules, CF,

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Deportivo La Karuna and Gil Vicente. He retired in two

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thousand after a two decade long career on the international stage.

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Rufai earned sixty five caps for Nigeria and was a

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central figure in the Super Eagles squad that won the

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nineteen ninety four Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He

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also represented Nigeria at the nineteen ninety four and nineteen

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ninety eight Fee for World Cups, and remains one of

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the few goalkeepers to score a goal for the national team,

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converting a penalty against Ethiopia in nineteen ninety three. In retirement,

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Rufai founded the Staru Football Academy in Lagos, mentoring aspiring

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footballers and giving back to the sport that made him

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a legend. He is survived by his wife, Mikaila Rufai,

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and children, including sun Senbatti, who briefly played for Sunshine

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Stars in the Nile Jerian top flights as Walcome Lado Britain.

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You re kneed in a mortgages, A wre