Former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.
Speaking passionately at the late goalkeeper Peter Rufai’s burial on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star in a chat with Completesports.com, criticized both the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Football Federation for abandoning the family of the football icon.
The ex-Inter Milan star recounted similar situations with deceased football legends like Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha.
My Son Won’y Represent Nigeria
He pointed out that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through their football skills.
“A big vacuum has been created in the circle of football fraternity especially for our nation and also the African continent and black race. My heart is bleeding, I don’t have the words to express Peter Rufai’s capacity or enormous input to the football world, Nigeria and in Africa.
“I’m just happy to be here and I can see some of my contemporaries and I’m here to share the burdens and the pains with the Rufai family. To me, it’s disheartening to have Lagos State and the Nigeria Football Federation who dropped the bucks on the family.
“My mother passed on I never shed tears, my father passed on in my hands I never shed tears but when Rufai passed on I had goose pimples on my body. What kind of nation is this? It this kind of example they had shown in the case of Yisa Shofoluwe, Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliha, and Rashidi Yekini. I will never advice even my son put his feet to use for this country.
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“Do we have a football federation or is there a football association in this Lagos State that this hero, this soldier had to be treated this way and his family? Could you imagine that the family would be crying out to our group asking for money.”
Rufai Passes Away
Rufai, who passed away in July 2025 was fondly called “Dodo Mayana.” He was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.