By Daniel Peters
Peter Rufai, former goalkeeper of Nigeria’s Super Eagles and one of the nation’s most iconic football figures, has died at the age of 62. Fondly known as Dodomayana, Rufai passed away on Thursday morning after a prolonged illness.
Born on August 24, 1963, in Lagos, Rufai enjoyed a distinguished football career that spanned two decades across Europe and Africa. He represented Nigeria at two FIFA World Cups (USA ’94 and France ’98) and two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, notably helping the Super Eagles clinch the 1994 AFCON title in Tunisia.
Rufai began his football journey with Stationery Stores FC and Femo Scorpions in Nigeria before moving to AS Dragons FC de l’Ouémé in Benin Republic in 1986. He later embarked on a professional career in Europe, playing in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.
In Belgium, he featured for K.S.C. Lokeren and K.S.K. Beveren, though with limited appearances. His move to Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Eredivisie saw him play 12 matches in the 1993–94 season.
Rufai’s most prominent club contributions came during his stint with S.C. Farense in Portugal. In his debut season, his solid goalkeeping helped the club qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time in its history. This performance earned him a transfer to Spain’s La Liga, where he played for Hércules CF and later joined Deportivo de La Coruña as a backup to Cameroonian goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o. Notably, Rufai kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over CD Tenerife in January 1998 while standing in for the suspended Songo’o.
He wrapped up his club career with a final season at Gil Vicente FC in Portugal before settling in Spain in 2003, where he established a goalkeeper academy to mentor young talents.
Rufai earned 65 caps for Nigeria and was the team’s first-choice goalkeeper during their golden era in the 1990s. He made history on July 24, 1993, when he scored a penalty in a 6–0 victory over Ethiopia in a CAN qualifying match.
Beyond football, Rufai came from royal lineage. He was the son of a traditional ruler in the Idimu area of Lagos. After his father’s death in 1998, he returned to Nigeria to participate in discussions about succession but declined to take up the title himself.
Rufai is survived by his children, including his eldest son, Senbaty, who once played as a midfielder and had trials with Sunshine Stars FC in the Nigeria Premier League.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
