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Former coach of the Super Eagles, Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, has passed on. Onigbinde died at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on March 9, 2026, at the age of 88. He was one of the best Nigerian coaches. Apart from being a national coach, he was also a football administrator and a mentor to many Nigerian players.
Born in Modakeke, Osun State, on March 5, 1938, Onigbinde keenly embraced coaching and football administration as a career. He was appointed the coach of the Green Eagles, as the Nigerian national football team was then called before being rechristened Super Eagles in 1998, by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) in 1982. In 1984, two years after he first took over as the senior national team’s coach, he guided Nigeria to a second-place finish in the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Cote d’Ivoire, which was won by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 3-1.
In 2002, Onigbinde also made history as Nigeria’s first indigenous coach to take the Super Eagles to the FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Korea/Japan. He replaced Amodu Shuaibu, who was sacked after his abysmal performance in the 2002 Nations Cup campaign. Unfortunately, his outing at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan was disastrous. The squad did not win any match before crashing out in the group stage.
The celebrated coach was equally the first African to be appointed to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Technical Study Group (TSG), the first Nigerian Confederation of African Football (CAF) technical instructor, as well as the first general manager of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan. Later, he was appointed the coach of the Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan and steered the club to the final of the African Club Champions Cup, which was won by Zamalek of Egypt.
Aside from coaching Nigerian teams, Onigbinde’s knowledge of the round leather game endeared him to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, which recruited him as technical instructor. He was also appointed the technical adviser of Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, where he worked in the development of its youth teams. He was a stickler for discipline and professional standards. His love for character and player development made him the favourite of many footballers. He made stringent calls for transparency in sports administration.
In his tribute to the late coach, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu praised him for distinguishing himself as the first indigenous coach of the national team in 1982, and contributing to the development of grassroots football and strengthening football administration in Nigeria. “The accomplished football manager would be remembered for his discipline, integrity, foresight and passion for the round leather game,” the President stated.
Similarly, the director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, said, “His patriotism and constructive contributions to the development of Nigerian football over five decades cannot be overemphasised. His legacies as a former national team coach and a former CAF and FIFA technical instructor will continue to shape the sport in decades to come.”
The death of Onigbinde is a great loss to Nigeria, especially the football community, a sector where he made his mark and contributed so much to its overall development. His interest was in football coaching and administration. By dint of hard work, he was able to distinguish himself in his chosen career.
We urge the leadership of the NFF to understudy Onigbinde’s recommendations as a veteran CAF and FIFA instructor to advance the cause of Nigerian football. The national football governing body should also use Onigbinde’s achievements as indigenous coach as basis to develop local coaches who could grow to handle the national teams. We cannot continue to rely on foreign coachesm, if we, indeed, want to go far in regional and global football tournaments. While not dismissing the enviable roles some foreign coaches have played in the development of our football, we must begin to take steps to groom our indigenous coaches to world-class standard.
We commiserate with Onigbinde’s family, friends, fans and the sports community on the great loss. Considering his immense contributions to the development of Nigerian football, we urge the federal government to name one sports edifice after him.
