Journalist explains why Rufai's mother dropped his Muslim name for Peter to save his life

• Peter Rufai passed distant astatine the property of 61, and shot lovers person continued to wage tribute to the legendary goalkeeper
• Nigerian writer Babatunde Koiki has reflected connected his puerility days, increasing up with the likes of Rufai
• He disagreed with authoritative records that Rufai was calved successful Lagos, saying the ex-goalie was calved successful bluish Nigeria

A Nigerian sports editor, Babatunde Koiki, has narrated his puerility days successful Lagos and however helium grew up with the legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai.

News broke connected July 3, 2025, that the AFCON 1994 victor passed distant astatine the property of 61, arsenic pundits and fans person continued to wage tribute.

Reflecting connected his increasing up, Koiki narrated however Rufai grew up connected the streets of Port Harcourt, claiming the ex-international was calved successful the north.

Nigeria goalkeeper Peter Rufai (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS.
Source: Getty Images

Although authoritative records person it that Rufai was calved successful Lagos, but Koiki disagreed. Speaking connected News Central TV, helium said:

"Rufai has a communicative that truly should person been Nollywood movie. He wasn't calved successful Lagos, helium was calved successful bluish Nigeria and past grew up successful Port Harcourt, which is wherefore erstwhile helium speaks you can't truly get the Yoruba reflection successful his speech. And helium seldom converses successful Yoruba. "This was due to the fact that conscionable earlier the troubles. They were successful bluish Nigeria. His begetter escaped, ran backmost to Lagos, his parent besides took disconnected with him to Port Harcourt. "Interestingly, from what I gathered, his archetypal sanction wasn't really Peter. It was astir apt a Muslim sanction truthful if you juxtapose that with the occupation of them, it could airs a problem."So they gave him Peter Rufai. He grew up successful Port Harcourt, got into goalkeeping by accident."I deliberation they were playing a shot crippled and I deliberation the goalkeeper got aggravated and left, truthful helium conscionable joined, from determination it became history."

Ikpeba recalls past infinitesimal with Rufai

Meanwhile, erstwhile Nigerian planetary Victor Ikpeba has shared his past conversation with the precocious Peter Rufai, who mislaid his conflict with prolonged illness.

In a TikTok post, the 1997 African Player of the Year said the iconic goalkeeper inactive gave backmost to his contiguous situation years aft retiring from planetary and nine football, per 777 Score.

The 1994 AFCON victor revealed that they some met astatine a relation during the archetypal 4th of the year, discussing the advancement of the nationalist team.

Peter Rufai holds backmost Hugo Brizuela of Paraguay during the World Cup radical D crippled astatine the Stade Municipal successful Toulouse, France. Photo: Stu Forster.
Source: Getty Images

The Stationery Stores fable manned the extremity for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 1983 to 1998, during which helium won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations successful Tunisia and featured astatine 2 World Cups successful 1994 and 1998.

The authorities of Rufai’s location earlier his death

Legit.ng earlier reported that tributes person continued to determination in for the legendary goalkeeper Rufai from the Nigerian shot community, galore of whom remembered him for his skills successful extremity and cheerfulness.

As seen successful a video going viral connected TikTok, the concern astatine the erstwhile player’s location was calm aft his death, with radical filling the condolence book.

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Source: Legit.ng