Super Eagles' coach, Festus Onigbinde, is dead

The coach of the Super Eagles, Chief Festus Onigbinde, is dead. He died on Monday at the age of 88.

The family announced his passing in a statement issued by Mrs Bolade Adesuyi on Monday night.

“With gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of High Chief Festus Onigbinde, a Modakeke High Chief and Nigeria’s first indigenous Super Eagles coach,” she said.

She described him as a father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend whose contributions to Nigerian and global football were remarkable.

The family thanked God for his fulfilled life and prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul.

Adesuyi said funeral arrangements for the late football icon would be announced later.

Onigbinde celebrated his 88th birthday on March 5.

He led Nigeria’s senior men’s national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

He also coached the national team between 1982 and 1984, winning silver at the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1–3 loss to Cameroon in the final.

The late coach later served as Special Adviser on Football to the Osun State Government.(NAN)

The full statement:

WITH GREAT GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR A LIFE WELL SPENT.

WE ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF THIS GREAT MAN, A MODAKEKE HIGH CHIEF, THE 1ST INDEGENOUS NIGERIAN SUPER EAGLES FOOTBALL COACH, FATHER, HUSBAND, GRAND FATHER, GREAT GRAND FATHER, BROTHER, AND FRIEND *HIGH CHIEF FESTUS ADEGBOYE ONIGBINDE* WHO PASSED UNTO THE GREAT BEYOND A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO.

WE THANK GOD FOR THE FULFILLED LIFE AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NIGERIA NATION AND THE WORLD AS A UNEQUALLED FOOTBALL COACH.

WE PRAY THAT YOUR SOUL WILL REST PERFECTLY IN THE BOSSOM OF YOUR & OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

GOOD NIGHT, TILL WE MEET TO PART NO MORE.

MRS BOLADE ADESUYI

FOR THE FAMILY

Final funeral arrangements will be communicated later.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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