The history of Nigerian soccer will not be complete without mentioning the contribution of goalkeeper Peter Rufai. The 47-year-old former Lagos Stationary Stores stopper made history in 1986 when he became the first Nigerian porter to leave the country’s coast in pursuit of his professional career. He was signed by AS Dragon FC of the Republic of Benin.
Rufai, with a calm voice, has traveled extensively having played for Belgian clubs, Lokeren and Beveren, before making a surprise move with the Netherlands’ Go Ahead Eagles in 1993-1994, where he was selected to play for Nigeria in the African Cup. of Nations of 1994 organized by Tunisia. . He helped Nigeria lift the coveted trophy for the second time after Zambia’s defeat in the final.
His performance in the African Cup of Nations earned him a subsequent call-up for the Nigerian team that played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States of America. As the team’s captain and goalkeeper, he managed to ensure that Nigeria delivered an impressive performance in their first World Cup appearance. The team reached the round of 16, before succumbing to the more experienced Italians who were inspired by Roberto Baggio. The match finally ended 2-1 in favor of the Italians.
Peter Rufai, affectionately referred to by his many fans as “Dodo Mayana,” reappeared as the Super Eagles at the 1998 FIFA World Cup hosted by Spain. However, he was unable to help the team climb to the last 16, as they were defeated by Denmark in a one-sided match at the Stade de France. Dodo Mayana watched helplessly as the Danes left four goals behind.
By the way, that match was his last international outing for the senior national team before he finally canceled it. His best performance was in the color of the Spanish La Liga team, Deportivo La Coruña, where he made a name for himself despite having been the backing of Cameroonian goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o for two consecutive seasons.
Peter Rufai currently lives in Nigeria, where he organizes soccer clinics in selected cities to help discover talented goalkeepers. He will be best remembered as one of the best goalkeepers Nigeria has ever had, having earned the respect of his teammates and the African Football Confederation, which named him the 10th best CAF goalkeeper of the century. It is worth mentioning that Rufai is the only Nigerian goalkeeper mentioned by the African soccer body.