NFF Mourns Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has described the death of former Technical Director and two-time head coach of the Nigeria national football team, Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, as the loss of a devoted servant of Nigerian football.

In a statement, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi said the late Modakeke High Chief was an extraordinary achiever who dedicated his life to the growth and development of the game.

“Indeed, a big tree has fallen. Chief Onigbinde ate, drank, breathed, slept and lived football development,” Sanusi said. “We will miss him greatly, as he was never tired of giving advice on the game’s development even at his ripe old age.”

Sanusi added that the NFF prays for eternal rest for the late coach and strength for his family, friends and the Nigerian football community to bear the loss.

Onigbinde, widely respected for his deep knowledge of football tactics and technical development, served as Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation and also worked internationally as Technical Adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, where he helped oversee the country’s youth teams.

He was also a long-time technical advisor for the Confederation of African Football and served on numerous technical study groups organized by both the FIFA and CAF during major tournaments.

Onigbinde began his coaching career in the 1960s and first gained national recognition in 1977 when he guided Water Corporation FC of Ibadan to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

Seven years later, he led Shooting Stars SC to the final of the same competition.

A respected educator and instructor, Onigbinde made history in 1984 when he became the first indigenous coach to lead Nigeria to a medal at the Africa Cup of Nations, guiding the team to a silver medal in Côte d’Ivoire.

He later led Nigeria to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, becoming the first indigenous manager to guide the Super Eagles at the tournament, following foreign coaches Clemens Westerhof (1994) and Bora Milutinović (1998).

After his coaching career, Onigbinde devoted much of his time to teaching and mentoring, serving as an instructor for the NFF, CAF and FIFA, and helping train new generations of coaches across Africa and beyond.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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