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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun Football Association (FA) and coaching community on Tuesday mourned the death of former Super Eagles coach Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, describing his passing as a major loss to Nigerian football.
Onigbinde, who died at 88 in his hometown of Modakeke, Osun State, was remembered for pioneering indigenous coaching in Nigeria and for his fearless, talent‑spotting approach.
Sola Fanawopo, chairman of the Osun FA, said Onigbinde “built a profile to a level that his expertise is always sought after, even to the FIFA level.”
Fanawopo recalled the coach’s readiness to take bold decisions, singling out Onigbinde’s elevation of a young Stephen Keshi to captain the national team in 1984 and his decision to back Vincent Enyeama as goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup.
Condoling with Onigbinde’s family on behalf of the Osun FA, the state government and football stakeholders, Fanawopo said, “He dared to be different. He will be greatly missed.”
The Osun chapter of the Nigerian Football Coaches Association, led by Tayo Adesina, described the news of Onigbinde’s death as a shock.
Adesina recalled being trained and certified by Onigbinde at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Lagos, and recounted a personal anecdote of how Onigbinde cleared the assessment of around 100 coaching trainees after discovering Adesina’s family link to Demola Adesina, a former Green Eagles player.
Noting Onigbinde’s uncompromising standards and the lessons he imparted to a generation of coaches, Adesina said, “The vacuum created by the death of the late national coach and FIFA instructor cannot be filled again.”
Adesina added that the coaches’ association and other stakeholders are making arrangements to pay a condolence visit to Onigbinde’s family.
The football community in Osun thereby urged state governments, including Osun and Oyo where Onigbinde once coached Shooting Stars FC, to immortalise his legacy, and called on local coaches to emulate his dedication and professionalism.
