Former goalkeeper Peter Rufai passed away on Thursday at the age of 61. The 65-time Nigerian international had been ill for a long time.
Rufai was the first-choice goalkeeper for Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. In both tournaments, the ‘Super Eagles’ reached the round of 16.
At the 1994 World Cup, Rufai was in goal for Nigeria in all matches. The team lost to Italy (1-2) in the round of 16 after extra time.
Rufai also defended Nigeria’s goal in all matches at the 1998 World Cup. The African country was eliminated in the round of 16 by Denmark (1-4).
In the 1993/1994 season, Rufai played for Go Ahead Eagles. He was fired by the club from Deventer because he participated in the Africa Cup tournament without the permission of coach Henk ten Cate. Nigeria won the Africa Cup.