Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has strongly criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Lagos State Government for allegedly neglecting the family of late goalkeeper Peter Rufai.
Speaking emotionally at Rufai’s funeral in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star condemned what he called the abandonment of Nigeria’s football heroes after their passing.
“It’s disheartening that both Lagos State and the NFF left everything to the family. I felt in my spirit that there’s nothing to live for when your sacrifices are forgotten,” West said.
He revealed how deeply affected he was by Rufai’s death, saying it triggered emotions he hadn’t felt even at the loss of his own parents.
“My mother died, I didn’t shed a tear. My father died in my hands, I didn’t cry. But when Rufai died, I had goosebumps and tears ran down my face. What kind of nation does this to its heroes?”
West went on to reference the poor treatment of other Nigerian football legends like Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, adding that such neglect has made him discourage his children from representing Nigeria.
“With examples like this, I will never advise my son to even set foot in this country, let alone play for it,” he said. “Imagine the family had to beg for contributions among friends. That’s madness.”
Peter Rufai, fondly remembered as “Dodo Mayana”, was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup that same year. He died in July 2025.
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