51-year-old Taribo West had decried poor treatment of sports heroes in Nigeria, pointing fingers at the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the government.
West’s comments came at the burial of the late Nigeria goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.
Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup in the same year.
He died in July 2025.
West himself was capped 42 times for Nigeria between 1994 and 2005, playing in two World Cups and two AFCONs. He also represented his country at the 1996 Olympics, winning a gold medal.
But he has sworn that his son will not represent the country.
“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country,” West fumed.
“Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State?
“That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.
“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness,” he fumed.
