The football world is mourning the loss of one of Nigeria’s most iconic goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, who passed away on Thursday, July 3, at the age of 61 after a brief illness.
Known around the world as “Dodo Mayana,” Rufai was a crucial part of Nigeria’s golden generation of the 1990s.
According to the BBC, he famously led the Super Eagles to victory at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and played in Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup appearance the same year in the USA.
However, his death has stirred a fresh wave of criticism against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Government following the circulation of a heartbreaking image believed to be one of the last taken before his passing.
🇳🇬🕊️ Forever in our hearts, Dodo Mayana.
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) July 3, 2025
We mourn the passing of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, a giant of Nigerian football and a 1994 AFCON champion.
Your legacy lives on between the sticks and beyond.
Rest well, Peter Rufai. 💚#SuperEagles #AFCON pic.twitter.com/9x7XEwE58a
Public outcry over neglect of national heroes
Former Super Eagles midfielder Etim Esin did not hold back in condemning the government’s lack of support.
According to Punch, the former Nigerian midfielder slammed the government and football body for abandoning national heroes like Peter Rufai.
“Someone will struggle for Nigeria, play for Nigeria, and what will it reward you with? Depression, frustration. What was the situation that the government could not help him?
“They say he was hospitalized, what sickness couldn’t have been diagnosed and treated? This is a great loss, and it shouldn’t be until someone dies that we celebrate and remember them. So sad to lose ‘Dodo Mayana’ this way.”
Comedian Bovi Ugboma also joined the conversation, expressing dismay at how legends are often honoured only after their passing.
“Rufai was an icon of Nigerian football... It’s heartbreaking that national heroes like him often pass away quietly, uncelebrated and forgotten by the systems they gave their all to.
“These men deserved far more honour and appreciation while they were alive. Our country’s football legends deserve better.”
He referenced the belated housing allocation to the 1994 AFCON-winning squad, a promise fulfilled only in 2024, 30 years after it was made.
To many, it is a sign of a deep-seated problem in the way Nigeria treats its former heroes.
