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Agbonavbare dies of cancer in Spain

Published by Tribune on Wed, 28 Jan 2015


FORMER Nigerian goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare is dead. He died in Madrid on Tuesday morning at the age of 48 following complications from cancer.A statement issued on Tuesday by Rayo Vallecano, the Spanish side for which Agbonavbare spent most of his career, said the Edo State-born keeper died at the Prncipe de Asturias Hospital in Alcal de Henares located near Madrid.'The Rayo Vallecano family and fans are in mourning. Cancer has taken Wilfred away from us this morning,'' the club wrote in a funeral message.The club further revealed efforts made to bring Agbonavbare's three children to their father's bedside shortly before his transition.Rayo Vallecano according to Spanish daily, Marca raised '21,000 (about N4.5 million) to fly Agbonavbare's children from Nigeria to see their father before he died.'All the paperwork and bureaucratic steps to be taken were not completed in time. Tragically, Wilfred died before their arrival,' Marca quoted Rayo Vallecano as saying.Agbonavbare was Rayo Vallecano's goalkeeper between 1990 and 1996 and was the first Nigerian goalkeeper known to have played top flight football in Europe.At a time African goalkeepers were not so much in demand in Europe, Agbonavbare distinguished himself in La Liga in spite of his name being sloganised 'Agbonabasket' (leaking hands) at home in Nigeria.His heroics abroad were rewarded by former Nigerian handler, Clemens Westerhof, who handed him the starting gloves during the final rounds of qualification games for USA '94 World Cup against The Ivory Coast and Algeria.At the 1994 Africa Nations Cup which Nigeria won in Tunisia and the USA '94 World Cup, Agbonavbare eventually lost his place to the flamboyant Peter Rufai.Agbonavbare was a product of Nigerian school sport guarding the post for Edokpolor Grammar School Benin City from where he was picked as Nigeria's goalkeeper of the country's U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, that campaigned at the 1983 World Youth Championship in Mexico.Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has also expressed sadness at the exit of Agbonavbare.NFF through its acting president Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi said: 'This is very sad coming only two days after the death of Coach Musa Abdullahi. The Nigeria Football Federation became aware of Agbonavbare's affliction only a couple of weeks ago.'This is another true hero gone to rest too early. Agbonavbare was a patriot of the first grade and his contributions to Nigeria football on-field can never be forgotten.
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