There is a generation of Nigerians who remember Peter ‘Dodo Mayana’ Rufai from his ill-advised return to the Super Eagles for the France ’98 FIFA World Cup, meaning they have little memory of the greatness of the man.
Rufai came to the attention of the country as the teenage keeper of Stationery Stores of Lagos team that made it to the 1980 FA Cup final. A lone penalty goal scored by (former Super Falcons coach) Sam Okpodu gave Bendel Insurance the trophy. The Benin based club were banned by CAF, so they were not able to represent Nigeria in the 1981 Cup-winners-Cup, Stores took their place.
The Stores team of Godwin Obiyan, Wakilu Oyenuga, young Tarila Okorowanta with Rufai fantastic in goal ran through the continent, making it all the way to the final. A two-legged affair against Union Douala of Cameroon.
Peter Rufai was magnificent in the first-leg in Douala, saving a penalty as Stores held on for a goalless draw. Unfortunately in Lagos, two-weeks later, in front of packed National Stadium the best laid plans of the Adebajo Babes scattered. Inside the first 10 mins, striker Yomi Peters was given a straight red for a needless stamp on the keeper of the Douala side.
Against 10-men, Stores were up against it. The visitors took the lead shortly after and in the collision leading to the goal, Rufai was carried off. As he went off, so did the trophy go to the Cameroon clubside.
Rufai was part of the core of players that Coach Festus Onigbinde based his rebuilding of the Green Eagles in 1982 after the shambolic defence of the AFCON title won at home in 1980. Along with Stephen Keshi and others, Rufai was in goal as Nigeria beat Ghana in Kumasi for the first time 2-1 in an Olympic qualifier.
Rufai played at the 1984, 1988 and 1994 AFCON Tournament. In 1988, he was the difference maker in the semi-final as his penalty shoot-out save from Lakhder Belloumi took Nigeria to the final. In 1994, in another semi-final, this time against holders, Ivory Coast, his save from Armani Yao allowed Rashidi Yekini to thump home the winning penalty to send Nigeria into the final.
In the final, with Nigeria coming from behind to lead Zambia 2-1 and the crowd in Tunisia cheering on the Zambians, Rufai came to the fore making three astonishing saves to deny Malitoli and Kalusha Bwalya in the closing moments ensuring that Nigeria won a second AFCON title.
A measure of the Rufai’s greatness is that he played his first game for Clemens Westerhof’s Super Eagles in an AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia in Lagos. He scored the sixth in the six goal romp with a penalty as Nigeria qualified for the 1994 AFCON where he remarkably turned up as the first choice keeper. Alloy Agu and later Wilfred Agbonibvare had played more games during the qualifiers for this and FIFA World Cup.
Six months later, Peter Rufai was Nigeria’s captain as the country made their FIFA World Cup debut in the US. It is down in the history books that Yekini scored Nigeria’s first goal at a FIFA World Cup. Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke followed up with more goals as Nigeria routed Bulgaria 3-0.
However, before Yekini’s goal, the very jittery Nigerian team had been kept in the game by two excellent saves by Rufai from efforts by Emil Kostadinov. Had Bulgaria scored first, the course of history could have been altered. Nigeria was to lose to Italy in the second round and exit the tournament but Rufai had been as good as any Nigerian who played a minute in the tournament.
A charismatic, imposing athlete, Rufai was as durable as you would want from a footballer and was a credit to his upbringing in the game. His most outstanding memory of playing the sport he says was “Walking out from the tunnel onto the pitch alongside Diego Maradona before the game against Argentina.” It says all about him that he chooses his time with the national team above anything else.
It is strange that he never got the role of a goalkeeper coach for the national teams. He sits comfortably amongst the top five goalkeepers to have kept goal for the Green/Super Eagles.
Farewell, Dodo Mayana, may the lights lead you home.
