The duo of goalkeepers Peter Rufai and Ike Shorunmu have expressed shock and sadness over the demise of their former national team mate, Wilfred Agbonavbare, who breathed his last in Spain on Tuesday.
Rufai, who spoke first, believes Agbonavbare’s death is a great loss as the country as it benefitted immensely from his wealth of experience in the game.
His words: “So sad losing Wilfred at this time. He was a great guy. A gentleman and professional to the core. I knew Willy as someone who was very passionate about the game. For me, he was a national hero.
“While in the national team, we never had to quarrel despite playing in the same position. He always cracked jokes and also worked very hard to win the number one shirt.
“I must say that he was a delight to be with at all time.”
In a similarly vein, Shorunmu believes the deceased will be greatly missed in the football family.
He said: “This a sad news for me that Agbonavbare is dead. We call him ‘Willy bouncing’ in the national team’s camp at the Gateway Hotel in Ota. Whenever I call him by his nickname, he will answer by calling me ‘Ike Baba.’ He was a great guy and we all had lots of fun in camp.
“I could remember that I replaced him during a Nations Cup qualifying tie against Sierra Leone at the National Stadium, Surulere in 1993. He was always ready to die for his fatherland on the pitch. We just hope his family will have the fortitude to bear this loss.”
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