Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde Dies at 88

Adegboye Onigbinde, the former coach of the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 88, as confirmed by his family through a WhatsApp broadcast message. Born on March 5, 1938, Onigbinde was widely regarded as a pioneer of modern football coaching in Nigeria.

He made history as the first indigenous Nigerian coach of the national football team, leading Nigeria to a silver medal in the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished as runners-up to Cameroon. Onigbinde later returned to manage the Super Eagles after the dismissal of coach Shuaibu Amodu, but his tenure during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations was disappointing, as Nigeria failed to win a single match in the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

Despite criticism regarding his squad selection, Onigbinde remained a respected figure in Nigerian football and served as a technical instructor for the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, contributing to the development of coaches across the continent.