US EditionFormer Nigeria Goalkeeper Peter Rufai Dies at 61
LAGOS, NIGERIA, JUL 4 – Peter Rufai earned 65 caps for Nigeria and was a key player in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations win and two FIFA World Cups, leaving a lasting legacy in Nigerian football.
- Peter Rufai, revered former Super Eagles goalkeeper, died at age 61 on July 3, 2025, in a Lagos hospital after weeks of illness.
- Rufai's death followed a distinguished career from 1981 to 1998, featuring over 60 caps and roles as Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper.
- He played key parts in Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph in Tunisia and their 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup appearances.
- President Tinubu praised Rufai for his dedicated service to Nigerian football, while Peter Obi recognized him as one of the country’s most outstanding goalkeepers.
- Rufai’s legacy continues through his Staruf Football Academy, mentoring young talents, underscoring a lasting impact on Nigerian football.
81 Articles
81 Articles
Tribute to Peter Jaja Rufai (Apina) – Daily Trust
Peter Jaja Rufai and I were classmates at State School, Ibadan Street, Port Harcourt in the mid 1970s. Along with Peter Rufai, I can vividly recall other classmates like Ose Sekibo, the late Queen Elizabeth Ayotamuno Opuiyo Ogube (wife of King Ogube, the Amanyanabo of Kirike in Okrika), Sunday Goa Jnr, Pretty Belema Harry and one Monday (our class monitor from Akwa Ibom State). Our headmistress was the famous Mrs Adoki (of Enugu Street) and our…
He is considered one of the best goalkeepers that Africa has ever produced, as "a giant of football," as a goalie legend of Nigeria – the long-standing "Super Eagles" support Peter Rufai is dead, died at the age of 61! As can be seen from Nigeria, Rufai has been seriously ill for a long time and has recently been housed in a hospital in the capital of Lagos – but the 1.87-meter man has suffered from this, was not announced.For a long time, uncha…
Tinubu, Obi lead tributes as Nigeria mourns goalkeeper Peter Rufai
President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi have paid glowing tributes to the late Nigerian football legend, Peter Rufai, who passed away on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the age of 61 after a brief illness. In a condolence statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Rufai as “a patriotic sportsman who wrote his name in gold.” The President lauded the late goalk…
Peter Rufai, emblematic goalkeeper of Nigerian football, prince of a tribe of Idimu (a region of Lagos) who chose to devote himself to the ball before being king, died on Thursday in his country at 61 years of age because of a cardiac arrest while resting in his residence. Rufai defended his country in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups of the United States and France and wore the T-shirts of Hercules and Deportivo in the late 1990s from the leagues o…
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