Legendary Nigeria national team goalkeeper and 1994 AFCON champion, Peter Rufai, is dead. The 61-year-old Rufai died in the early hours of Thursday, following a prolonged illness that had kept him away from the public in recent years.
This is just as Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, has died in a car accident in Spain at the age of 28.
Widely celebrated as one of Nigeria’s finest goalkeepers, the late Rufai enjoyed a distinguished career with clubs such as Stationery Stores and Go Ahead Eagles.
The late Peter Rufai made 65 appearances for the Super Eagles, featuring in two FIFA World Cups and playing a key role in Nigeria’s historic 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory.
It is instructive to note that the Super Eagles have paid tribute to Peter Rufai, following news of his death.
In a statement made available on Thursday via X, the national team described Rufai, fondly known as “Dodo Mayana,” as a towering figure in Nigerian football history whose contributions would never be forgotten.
The statement reads in part, “Forever in our hearts, Dodo Mayana. We mourn the passing of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, a giant of Nigerian football and a 1994 AFCON champion.”
The Super Eagles further lauded Rufai’s legacy, particularly his heroics between the posts and his influence beyond the pitch.
“Your legacy lives on between the sticks and beyond. Rest well, Peter Rufai,” it added.
Rufai was part of the historic Nigerian squad that won the 1994 AFCON and qualified for the country’s first FIFA World Cup the same year.
In a related development, Liverpool and Portugal forward, Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car crash in northwestern Spain on Thursday, police said, weeks after the star got married.
Jota’s 25-year-old brother, Andre Silva, was also killed in the accident. He was a footballer with Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel.
The accident was said to have happened at 12.30am local time on Thursday (11.30pm Wednesday BST) on the A-52 motorway in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora.
It was further gathered that Jota was travelling from Portugal to Santander in northern Spain, where he was due to take the ferry back to England. He had been advised not to fly following minor surgery. Jota was due to report back to Liverpool’s training ground for pre-season with the rest of the squad next week.
Sky Sports News also reports that there will be a wake on Friday afternoon to remember Jota, saying that the event will take place in Gondomar, near Porto in Portugal, where the funeral will then take place on Saturday at about 10am. Wakes typically take place before the funeral service in Portugal.
The car Jota and his brother were travelling in left the road and caught fire after a suspected burst tyre while overtaking, according to a statement issued to Sky Sports News by the Civil Guard in Zamora.
Incidentally, Jota had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks ago, and had three children.
