The Nigeria
Football Federation has condoled the family of former Nigeria international
midfielder Ayo Ogunlana, who died in Kaduna on Friday after observing his
early-morning walk.
NFF General
Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, showered tributes on the departed midfield
pearl, who was a star attraction during a number of important Nigeria FA Cup
battles in the 1980s and held sway in the middle for the Super Eagles in the
late 1980s, and at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria.
“We are very sad
to learn of the sudden passing of Ayo Ogunlana, only a couple of weeks after
the demise of another former Eagle, Moses Effiong (a member of the 1980
AFCON-winning Green Eagles squad, in far away USA). Ogunlana was a great
midfielder who made playing football look so easy with his majestic touches and
turns, and his magnificent free-kicks.
“We pray that the
Almighty will grant both of them eternal rest and grant the families they have
left behind the fortitude to bear the losses.”
Ogunlana was
magisterial in the midfield as Nigeria overhauled Guinea and Zimbabwe to
qualify for the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, and was imperial against Cameroon
in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Ibadan that the Super Eagles won
with an emphatic 2-0. He also played in the 1990 ECOWAS Cup competition that
Nigeria hosted in Kaduna.
In March 1990, the
midfield generalissimo earned rave reviews as Nigeria finished with the silver
medals at the 17th Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria, even
coming close to bagging Nigeria a late equalizer in the final against hosts and
winners Algeria, from his favourite dead-ball position.
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