Few weeks after the death of ex-Nigerian international, Joe Erico, the Nigerian football fraternity has again been thrown into mourning mood following the passage of former Super Eagles defensive ace, Yisa Sofoluwe, whose sad event occurred on Tuesday, 9th February, at a hospital in Lagos State, where he had been admitted after battling with a brain disease.
Reacting to the shocking news, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Othman Bala Adam, said:
“These are not the best of times for our country’s heroes who brought joy, laughter and won us many laurels in the past through football.
“We in Nasarawa State are saddened about this ugly scenario.
“Just few days ago, I read about the interventionist efforts of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide the late Sofoluwe with adequate treatment for his recovery, only for news to now surface that he has passed on”, Othman Bala lamented.
The Commissioner described the late footballer as a bridge-builder and an epitome of unity.
“We used to call him “Minister of Defence” in those days as he operated from the right fullback. His brand of football broke barriers and stereotypes as he resonated the ambiance of unity among people of different ethnoreligious and social strata in Nigeria.
“You barely would notice any difference each time we went to watch him play – We were all united by one purpose”, he explained.
Othman Bala Commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased, and all those affected by the loss, and prayed for the repose of the soul of the late footballer.
“On behalf of the Government and peace-loving people of Nasarawa State, I wish to share my thoughts and prayers with the family of the late legendary footballer.
“I also wish to extend my condolences and sympathies to the Federal Government of Nigeria, especially the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development headed by Hon. Sunday Dare; the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation presided over by Melvin Amaju Pinnick, and the entire Nigerian populace, home and abroad, for this great loss.
“It is my hope and expectations that you find solace in the position of nature on humanity. I pray God to forgive the deceased his shortcomings and grant him eternal repose”, the erstwhile House Committee Chairman on Youth and Sports, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, prayed.
Aged 53 years, the late Yisa Sofoluwe won forty caps and scored one goal for Nigeria and was a member of the Eagles’ squads which reached the final of the 1984 and 1988 AFCON tournaments in Ivory Coast and Morocco respectively.
At the professional level, he featured for Ibadan giants 3SC between 1982 and 1983, winning the domestic league title, before moving to Abiola Babes, where he spent four seasons and helped them to win the FA Cup twice in 1985 and 1987.
He equally played for Gateway of Abeokuta
