Former Super Eagles star, Taribo West, has criticised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.
West, who spoke at Rufai’s burial in a video shared by News Central on Friday, said it was shameful that Nigerian football heroes were left to suffer neglect after their service to the country.
“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. What kind of nation is this?” he asked emotionally.
The former Inter Milan defender recalled how he was deeply moved by Rufai’s death, comparing it to the loss of his parents.
“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body… there were tears rolling down my cheeks,” he said.
West also pointed to the cases of Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, noting that the repeated neglect of Nigerian football icons discouraged him from ever advising his children to represent the country.
“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to play for this country. Could you imagine that the family would be crying, begging within our groups just to raise money? That is madness,” he lamented.
Rufai, fondly known as “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and also featured at the country’s debut FIFA World Cup appearance the same year. He passed away in July 2025.
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