Seyi Akinwunmi, acting president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has expressed deep grief of the federation and the entire football family at the death of former Super Eagles’ goalkeeper Wilfred Agbonavbare who passed on early Tuesday in Spain.
While mourning the player, Akinwunmi commended his contribution to the game.
“This is very sad coming only two days after the death of coach Musa Abdullahi. The Nigeria Football Federation became aware of Agbonavbare’s affliction only a couple of weeks ago,” he said.
“This is another true hero gone to rest too early. Agbonavbare was a patriot of the first grade and his contributions to Nigeria football on-field can never be forgotten.”
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Agbonavbare, who played for Rubber Board FC and New Nigeria Bank FC, both of Benin City, was a member of the Super Eagles’ squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 1994, and also made the final squad to Nigeria’s debut appearance at the World Cup finals in USA the same year.
He was in the first Nigeria team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup competition – the U-20 squad of 1983.
At the finals in Mexico, the team defeated USSR 1-0 but lost 3-0 to Brazil before a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands got them eliminated at the group stage.
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The well-built goaltender also represented the senior team at the 1984, 1988 and 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals, winning silver in all three, before bagging gold in Tunisia in 1994.
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