The first Nigerian coach to take the Super Eagles of Nigeria to the FIFA World Cup finals, coach Adegboye Onigbinde, has extolled the virtues the wife of the late Nigerian soccer legend, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, Alhaja Mulikat, as the Nigerian football family marks her 22nd year memorial anniversary.
Onigbinde, stated that, it was the late Alhaja Mulikat that gave her husband all the motivations that made him a super legend and hero of Nigerian football.
He noted that, Alhaja Mulikat before all the matches her husband played in his active days, played noble roles in his glorious career, by assuring him of stellar performances ahead of all the games he played until his retirement.
“She was the one who persuaded her husband to return to Nigeria to continue his soccer career, dumping his professional club in England, the Queens Park Rangers in 1958. Thus granting the request of then Premier of Western Nigeria, Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Who had asked him to return so as to help the West Rovers Football club win the Nigeria Challenge Cup competition, the country’s biggest soccer event at the time.
This was achieved as the West Rovers won the Challenge Cup first time in history in 1958 due to ‘Thunder’ Balogun’s soccer brilliance.
The former coach and sole administrator of premier League club, Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan, added that, Alhaja Mulikat left behind a memorable high profile of her immense contribution to the development of football in Nigeria, as she inspired her husband to form a number of youth clubs in Lagos for the development of the game that brought her husband fame.
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