Former Eagles coach, Musa Abdullahi, passes on

A former Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles, Musa Abdullahi, was confirmed dead yesterday after years of battling to recover from stroke.

Abdullahi, who suffered a stroke several years ago had been confined to his home in Kogi State.

The ever-smiling Abdullahi assisted Coach Fanny Amun to lead Nigeria to a second FIFA Under-17 World Cup title in Japan in 1993 with the likes of Wilson Oruma, Nwankwo Kanu and Celestine Babayaro.

He also led the Nigerian cadet team several years later, to win the African title in Seychelles in 2001 and a silver at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

He left Nigeria for South Africa where he handled PSL side, Free State Stars, winning them promotion to the South African top flight. It was shortly after this feat he returned to Nigeria.

Reacting to the news of the death of the coach yesterday, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, who is at the ongoing AFCON 2015 in Equatorial Guinea as match commissioner, described the death of Abdullahi as terrible news.

“Coach Musa Abdullahi was known by all who came across him as a gentleman to the core, a very humble, highly dedicated and tireless professional who had a real passion for the job. He was just a likeable person in every respect.

“We feel very, very sad to lose him but God loves him more and he has gone to rest. Our prayer is for Almighty God to grant him peaceful rest and also grant the family he has left behind the fortitude to bear the huge loss.”