BREAKING: Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde is dead
Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde Dies at 88
Adegboye Onigbinde, a notable figure in Nigerian football and former coach of the Super Eagles, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. His death was confirmed by his family through a WhatsApp message that expressed gratitude for his life and achievements.
Onigbinde’s family described him as “a great man, a Modakeke High Chief, the first indigenous Nigerian Super Eagles football coach, father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend.”
Born on March 5, 1938, Onigbinde is recognized as one of the pioneers of modern football coaching in Nigeria. He made history as the first native coach of the Nigeria national football team.
He led the Super Eagles to the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, where they secured a silver medal after losing to Cameroon. In 2002, following the dismissal of head coach Shuaibu Amodu due to a disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, Onigbinde returned to manage the team.
He oversaw Nigeria’s participation in the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, forming a squad largely composed of young and inexperienced players. Unfortunately, the tournament did not go as planned for Nigeria, which failed to secure a victory and was eliminated in the group stage, marking one of the country’s most challenging World Cup performances. The Super Eagles lost their opening match 1-0 to Argentina, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Sweden after initially taking the lead. They concluded the group stage with a goalless draw against England.
In the aftermath of the World Cup, some players, including Jay-Jay Okocha and Julius Aghahowa, publicly criticized Onigbinde’s player selection decisions. Despite the criticisms, many team members continued to have successful careers with the Super Eagles.
Onigbinde remained a respected figure in Nigerian football throughout his life, later serving as a technical instructor for both the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, where he played a role in advancing coaching standards across Africa.
