By Joseph Odoekwu
July 6, 2021 marks 30 years since one of Nigeria’s greatest midfielders, Mudashiru Lawal passed on.
Muda Lawal worked as an automobile mechanic before his football talent was discovered. He abandoned the automobile job and gave adequate attention to his football career.
No doubt, football gave him more fame and recognition and he soon became a household name.
Born on June 8, 1954, in Abeokuta, South-West Nigeria, Mudashiru Lawal went on to play for the Shooting Stars of Ibadan in 1975, and it was the same year he made his debut in the Nigeria National team.
In 1976, Muda helped his club to their first continental title, they won the African Cup Winners Cup and that also made them become the first Nigerian club to do so. However, his club was disbanded by the then military governor.
He later joined Stationery Stores (1985-1986), Abiola Babes (1987-1988) before returning to Shooting Stars in 1989-1991 as an assistant Coach Player.
The Abeokuta-born won 86 caps for Nigeria, where he scored 12 goals. He played in five consecutive African Cup of nations between1976-1984.
He scored a total of 5 goals in the five consecutive appearances, leaving him with an average of one goal per African cup of nations.
Muda was also part of the golden team that won Nigeria’s first African Cup of Nations in 1980 when the team defeated Algeria 3-0 in the final on home soil to win the title.
He went on to represent Nigeria at the Mokba 1980 Summer Olympics where the team could not progress from the group stage after losing to Kuwait (1-3), drew with Czechoslovakia (1-1) and another loss to Colombia (0-1).
He made his last international match for Nigeria on August 18, against Zambia. It was an African Cup of Nations which Nigeria eventually lost.
Muda Lawal died on home soil on July 6, 1991, and the Asero Stadium in Abeokuta was named after him.
