NFF To Honour Late Muda Lawal

Former Nigeria captain, Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal, who died 20 years ago, will be honoured next month in London.

Born in 1954, late Lawal won his first senior cap in an international friendly match against Cameroon in which Nigeria won 1- nil on January 22, 1975.

Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Musa Amadu, said the federation would invite Muda Lawal’s wife and two of his five children as special guests to next month’s international friendly between the Super Eagles and Ghana’s Black Stars at Vicarage Road in London.

“We will invite the wife and two children based in London as special guests to the match against Ghana on Tuesday, 9th August, and also invite the three children based in Nigeria to the Super Eagles’ next home match, which is a crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea in Abuja on 9th October.

“The late Muda Lawal contributed immensely to the development of Nigerian football, being a member of the senior team for more than 10 years, and was also Captain of the senior team. It is important that we recognize our heroes of yesteryears in order to encourage the stars of today”, said Amadu.

Amadu also disclosed that the NFF would extend invitation to the other three children of late Lawal residing in Nigeria for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying against Guinea in October.

According to him, late Muda Lawal contributed immensely to the development of Nigerian football, being a member of the senior team for more than 10 years, and was also captain of the senior team,adding that It is important that to recognise the nation's heroes of yesteryears in order to encourage the stars of today

The late Lawal was the first footballer to play in five successive Africa Cup of Nations finals, between 1976 and 1984, and won 86 caps for the Nigerian senior team between 1975 and 1985.

A raw auto engineer from Abeokuta in Ogun State, Lawal rose to the pinnacle of his football career through hard work, self-application, discipline and diligence, and remains a revered name in the history of Nigerian.

His 86 caps remained a Nigerian record until it was equalled by Nwankwo Kanu, when the latter featured for the Super Eagles in a FIFA World Cup finals match against South Korea in Durban, South Africa on June 22, 2010.

After winning the 1980 African Cup of Nations title, Muda Lawal and team-mates were awarded the national title of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) alongside other goodies. He was also awarded the national title of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and was Nigeria’s first-ever Soccer Ambassador.

He died on July 6, 1991 at the age of 37.