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FORMER SUPER EAGLE, RABIU AFOLABI DEVASTATED ABOUT MOTHER’S DEATH

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Former Super Eagles defender, Rabiu Afolabi is grieving over the loss of his mother, Alhaja Kosenat Afolabi.

The two-time World Cup hero lost his mother aged 85 on Sunday 13 September after a brief illness. He hails from Inisa in Osun State, the same hometown of former Nigerian international, Felix Owolabi.

Afolabi who captained the Nigerian Flying Eagles to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1999 is also a two-time World Cup player having been in the Super Eagles’ squad to 2002 and 2010 World Cup finals.

He made his Super Eagles’ debut in the 2-0 home defeat of Sierra Leone on 17 June 2000 in a World Cup qualifying match for Japan/Korea 2002.

He is one of the few Nigerian footballers to have played for all the national teams from the U-17 to the Super Eagles having also played for the UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup-winning Golden Eaglets in 1997.

Speaking from his base in Belgium, Robo Cop as fondly called who is currently Logistics Manager at Royal Antwerp FC Belgium and currently studying for his UEFA coaching licence, said he felt devastated with the demise of his mother but is seeking solace in the Islamic phrase that God giveth and taketh.

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“My mother played a very significant role in my life. She was a great role model who impacted in her children the virtue of humility and fear of God.

“She was very accommodating and a cheerful giver. I really learnt a lot from her”, he said.

Madam Afolabi was interred on Monday at the family compound in Inisa, Odo Otin Local Government, Osun State according to Islamic rites.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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