Former Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, has passed away at the age of 88, his family confirmed on Monday.
The announcement was made through a WhatsApp broadcast message signed by Bolade Adesuyi, a family member. The message read:
“With great gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of this great man, a Modakeke High Chief, the first indigenous Nigerian Super Eagles football coach, father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend, High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, who passed unto the great beyond a couple of minutes ago.”
Born on March 5, 1938, Onigbinde was regarded as one of the pioneers of modern football coaching in Nigeria. He made history as the first indigenous coach of the national football team.
During his coaching career, Onigbinde led Nigeria to the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished with a silver medal after losing to Cameroon.
He returned to manage the Super Eagles after the sacking of Shuaibu Amodu’s coaching team following Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. Onigbinde subsequently guided the team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, fielding a squad that largely consisted of young and inexperienced players.
The tournament ended in disappointment for Nigeria, as the team did not win any matches and was eliminated at the group stage, marking the country’s worst World Cup performance. The Super Eagles lost 0–1 to Argentina after a Gabriel Batistuta goal, fell 1–2 to Sweden despite initially taking the lead, and drew 0–0 with England in their final group game.
After the World Cup, some players, including Jay-Jay Okocha and Julius Aghahowa, criticised Onigbinde over what they described as questionable squad selections. However, many of these players went on to enjoy long and successful careers with the national team.
Onigbinde remained a respected figure in Nigerian football and later contributed as a technical instructor for both the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, helping to advance coaching development across Africa.
