Spanish club Rayo Vallecano have immortalised late Nigeria goalkeeper Wilfred Agbonavbare by naming a gate at their stadium after him. Agbonavbare died in Spain on Tuesday after a battle with cancer.
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The goalkeeper who hit the limelight with the Flying Eagles on the road to
Mexico ’83 U20 World Cup, played for Rayo Vallecano at the prime of his professional career. He was at the Spanish club from 1990 to 1996 and earned the club record as the goalkeeper to have made most Primera Division appearances for Rayo at 76 times. The club thus decided to honour him for his remarkable achievement during his active days and also for his relationship with them until his death.
The club’s website, El Rayo Vallecano, reports that after the extraordinary meeting held on Wednesday by the board of directors, it was agreed that the Nigerian be so honoured.
The report read, “The Board of Directors of the Club has decided unanimously to keep alive the memory of Wilfred and therefore will call the Gate 1 Vallecas Stadium, Gate Wilfred Agbonavbare.”The club managers also thanked everyone who showed love towards Agbonavbare while he battled cancer on behalf of the late goalkeeper’s family. The directors said that they were touched by “the countless signs of affection that have been coming to club on a sad day for everyone.”
The former New Nigeria Bank of Benin goalkeeper was buried in Spain on Thursday with Rayo Vallecano president and other dignitaries in attendance. There were also active and retired Nigerian footballers who attended the event in Spain including Henry Makinwa who posted a photograph of Agbonavbare’s children with the Rayo Vallecano president during the ceremony. His children, Wilson and Wintia, we learnt arrived in Spain from Nigeria on Wednesdaymorning to witness their father’s burial.
His children returned to Nigeria at the height of his illness as their mother had died about three years ago from breast cancer.
Apart from starring for the Flying Eagles, Wilfred was also a member of the Nigeria team which won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and also with USA ‘94 World Cup squad. He became the third member of that popular ’94 Eagles squad to pass away following the deaths of Thompson Oliha and Uche Okafor.culled from punch
RIP
RIp sir
ReplyDeleteBLOG ANALYSER: I am happy they did that. R.I.P
DeleteContinue to rest in peace , amen
DeleteRIP to him.. . I Waka
DeleteI just hope the cancer was not as a result of the bleaching cream. Sad sad sad.
DeleteMamie, take note.
RIP sir!
DeleteSnow white... Ahn ahn.....na bleaching cream come your mind.....did you even stop to think cancer of what?....it can be prostate cancer sef....and you want to tie bleaching cream to that.....abeg make una take am easy o
DeleteOrela I didn't say it's the bleaching cream na. I am only hoping it didn't result from it. It could be another form of cancer though. The rate at which people die of cancer is alarming. God help us
DeleteBut this cancer is just too much sef....Wetin....a demonic disease....no cure,na to pray make drugs work because it can relapse anytime
DeleteEeeya! O maa se o. I so pity his children , they are now orphans. Cancer is very deadly. The children needs to be cautious too.
ReplyDeleteMay his soul rest in peace * sobs*
ReplyDeleteStella I dey hail
And that is something his country will never do for him. RIP!
ReplyDeleteMay his soul in perfect peace.
ReplyDeleteAaawww......rest on bro
ReplyDeleteRIP Wilfred
ReplyDeleteRest in eternal peace.
ReplyDeleteRIP. BV'S PLS DOES ANYONE KNOW WHEN FED GOVT ARE STARTING THIER RECRUITMENT PLS
ReplyDeleteRIP
ReplyDeleteBut no word from NFF and the FG of Nigeria.if it were to travel for his wedding,the government will send a fifty man committee and the NFF will send thirty so estacode can be collected.
ReplyDeleteyet we can't honor him.shameless people.
God rest his soul.
ReplyDeleteMay his soul Rest in peace
ReplyDeleteRip
ReplyDeleter.i.p. Bro,but nigerian making history.
ReplyDeletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
ReplyDelete.
Very sad something... May his soul RIP....
.
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
RIP! Poor kids
ReplyDeleteThoughtful of them
ReplyDeleteRIP he still leaves on
ReplyDeleteRIP bro!i remember him very well he was back up keeper for Peter rufai
ReplyDeleteCancer killed both of them, that's sad,my heart goes out to the children..Rest in peace sir...
ReplyDeleteRip.... May God protect and guide your kids.
ReplyDeleteHnmmm. Its well. RIP
ReplyDeleteMay his soul rest in peace...
ReplyDeleteChai those kids are now orphans just like that....hmmm
I just hope they are not that young and I hope they have a loving family back home for support....
RIP to him
ReplyDelete4th Stella take note! Late Rashidi yelling was a member of 94 eagles.
ReplyDeleteRIP willie
Krix via iPhone 6 gold
May his soul continue to rest in peace. The question now is that how do our NFF remember people like this who have served this country? He played for the national team, played for a clubsite in nigeria, how do they immortalise him? How do they remember him? The super six club is playing a competition currently in abuja, and not even a minute silence was observed by the teams before every game. In other countries, years after a footballer has died, he is remembered on that date every year before a match is played, sometimes you see the players tie black handband in remembrance. What about our own country? Where are we different?
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval.
Very sad our country won't even do anything to remember him.
DeleteVery sad!
So sad. Nigeria never remembers the labor of love of her citizens.
DeleteNow, his kids are orphans. May God be with them. RIP, Wilfred.
Eyaa RIP
ReplyDeleteRest in Peace.
ReplyDeleteEven in death you're being honoured, you lived.
Alright. Hope they honored him when he was alive, and didn't leave him to die in penury.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little too late to ask questions.
Whatever the case may be, RIP sir!
NewBie!
Rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteRIP Agbonavbare. God comfort your family most expecially your children. Hope they are in good hands.
ReplyDeleteIt is well. May God comfort his family.
ReplyDeleteRip
ReplyDeleteRip
ReplyDeleteMay his soul R.I.P
ReplyDeleteRest in peace. May God be with the children.
ReplyDeleteContinuing to rest in peace sir.
ReplyDeleterip sir
ReplyDelete