Govt, NFF abandoned Peter Rufia; I’ll never advise my son to play for Nigeria, Taribo West fumes
Former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has said he would never advise his son to play for Nigeria, berating the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Lagos State government for abandoning the family of late goalkeeper Peter “Dodo Mayana” Rufai.
West, a former Inter Milan defender, spoke at the burial of his teammate Dodo Mayana in Lagos on Friday.
“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving,” West said.
He added: “With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way.”
Recalling how other Super Eagles legends Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha were all abandoned, West lamented: “What kind of nation is this?”
“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” West said.
On July 3, Dodo Mayana, the first-choice goalkeeper who manned the goalpost as the Super Eagles won the 1994 African Cup of Nations, died at the age of 61.
Dodo Mayana started his professional career with Stationery Stores in 1980. The legendary keeper earned 65 caps for the Super Eagles, guarding the goalpost for Nigeria in two FIFA World Cups in 1994 and 1998.
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