An ex-Green Eagles international, Dr Felix Owolabi, has described the death of Festus Onigbinde as a national loss of a credible football administrator.
Owolabi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.
He said that the late coach handled the national team and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan with great passion for many years.
NAN recalls that Onigbinde died at the age of 88 on Monday at his hometown, Modakeke, in Osun.
Owolabi said the late national coach was a diligent and credible man who knew his onions and was up to the task of building a legacy for himself.
According to him, Onigbinde’s legacy includes getting young footballers to play for Nigeria at the international level.
He added that the deceased would be remembered for many things, particularly in football development.
However, he said it was unfortunate that the good works of a man like Onigbinde would be appreciated after his death.
“I don’t think it’s a very good idea. I’ve always told people whenever I have the opportunity to speak that it is not enough to celebrate people after they have left.
“It is not good to celebrate people when they die. Rather, let us celebrate them when they are alive,” he said.
According to him, it is no small thing that they moved and did what they cherished when they had the chance.
“It is not everybody that will have the opportunity and the rare privilege to represent the country, serve the country and even succeed in serving the country.
“If you look at the array of people who have ruled this country, only a few people will be remembered for the good things they did.
“Onigbinde will be remembered for many good things.
“I pray that he rests in the bosom of his Creator,” he said.
Also, the Chairman of the Oyo State Football Association, Oba James Odeniran, expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the family and the Nigerian football community.
Odeniran, the Alakinyele of Akinyele, Ibadan, noted that the late Onigbinde lived a fulfilled life, dedicated to the growth and development of football in Nigeria.
He added that Onigbinde’s contributions to football remained indelible, having served with distinction as a two-time head coach of the Nigerian national football team—the Super Eagles.
He stressed that his legacy would continue to inspire upcoming coaches, administrators and players.
“He also stamped his name in history as the first indigenous coach to guide Nigeria to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1984, where the team won a silver medal after finishing runners-up to Cameroon.
“Onigbinde was not just a coach but a father figure, mentor and a guiding light, whose wisdom and passion for football inspired many within and outside the game.
“While his demise leaves a huge vacuum in Nigerian football, we take solace in the remarkable legacy he left behind.
“His dedication, discipline and service to the game will remain a reference point for generations to come,” he said.
NAN reports that the late football strategist led Nigeria to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Korea and Japan, further cementing his place among the country’s most respected football tacticians.
Beyond his achievements with the national team, he also made significant contributions at the club level, notably his time with 3SC of Ibadan.
