Victor Ikpeba opens up on Peter Rufais's influence in the Super Eagles squad during the 80s and 90s: "He's a big brother"

• Super Eagles fable Victor Ikpeba has paid a touching tribute to legendary goalkeeper Peter Rufai
• The 61-year-old passed distant astatine the property of 61 aft a prolonged unwellness past Thursday, July 3
• The erstwhile Super Eagles shot-stopper won AFCON 1994 with Nigeria and besides played astatine 2 World Cups

Victor Ikpeba has shared his past speech with the precocious Peter Rufai.

Rufai sadly passed distant astatine 61 connected Thursday, July 3, 2025, aft losing his conflict with prolonged illness, which had plagued him since 2012.

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.

Super Eagles players airs for their authoritative squad representation against Spain astatine the 1998 FIFA World Cup successful France. Photo by: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP.
Source: Getty Images

Tributes poured successful from President Bola Tinubu, erstwhile Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar, and a big of ex-teammates, each hailing Rufai, popularly known arsenic “Dodo Mayana”, per State House.

Ikpeba opens publication of remembrance for Rufai

Monaco fable Victor Ikpeba shared however precocious Peter Rufai inspired younger players who broke into the Super Eagles squad successful the precocious 80s.

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.

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.

The 52-year-old said the decease of the Super Eagles fable came arsenic a rude daze to him. He said:

"May his psyche remainder successful bid first, my thoughts goes to the family. I was with Peter Rufai successful February, we had a day enactment we attended successful the Sheraton Hotel. "We bash speech erstwhile successful a portion and I knew the relation helium played for maine erstwhile I joined the nationalist team; helium was a large member not lone to maine but a batch of young players that broke into the Super Eagles successful the precocious 80's."His decease is shocking. May his psyche remainder successful peace, and with each the accusation I gathered, it is precise unfortunate for a young antheral astatine 61."After football, helium is inactive giving backmost to nine and is afloat progressive successful shot successful assorted capacities. We tally into each different erstwhile successful a portion erstwhile we person our fable matches. It was perfectly a pleasance to beryllium with him successful the elder nationalist squad and ever determination arsenic a large brother."

Peter Rufai and Victor Ikepba won the 1994 AFCON and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics arsenic teammates, per FIFA.

Super Eagles fable Victor Ikpeba during the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Photo by: Henri Szwarc/Bongarts.
Source: Getty Images

One of Nigeria's top goalkeepers- Ikpeba

Former Borussia Dortmund prima Victor Ikpeba described Peter Rufai arsenic 1 of the country's astir fashionable goalkeepers.

The Prince of Monaco said helium has connections with the household of the ex-international.

He added that the deaths of Liverpool guardant Diogo Jota and Peter Rufai enactment the shot assemblage successful a authorities of mourning connected July 3. Ikpeba said:

"I was devasted erstwhile I learnt of the quality due to the fact that we woke up connected Thursday greeting to the decease of Diogo Jota and fewer hours we mislaid our own. The image, thoughts are inactive there. I cognize his sons and daughters, I person done a batch of things aft our playing vocation with Peter Rufai."Nigeria volition not hide him due to the fact that he's 1 of our iconic and fashionable goalkeepers successful the past of the country; you cannot instrumentality it distant from him."

Former Golden Eaglets manager is dead

Legit.ng earlier reported that Former Golden Eaglets manager Hassan Abubakar has been pronounced dormant pursuing a prolonged illness.

The erstwhile Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) manager was buried according to Islamic rites successful Zaria, Kaduna state, connected Tuesday morning, July 8.

The quality came arsenic a rude daze to the shot community, arsenic the state is presently mourning the decease of 1994 AFCON victor Peter Rufai.

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Source: Legit.ng