Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare, died in January unable to realise a 13-year wish, reports ’TANA AIYEJINA
Former Super Eagles striker, Henry Makinwa’s house in Madrid is just 10 minutes’ walk away from that of fallen ex-Eagles and Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare.
Agbonavbare lost his battle against cancer on January 27 and was buried in Spain— three years after he lost his wife to breast cancer.
But Makinwa first met Agbonavbare in 1997 as a fresh-faced 20-year-old, who had happily moved from Udoji United to begin his football sojourn abroad with Rayo. It was a sojourn that would see him become football’s journeyman, playing in 10 countries and three continents.
But he will never forget his first moments at Rayo. Luckily, Agbonavbare, a household name at the club, was on hand to help him adjust to life in Europe. And ever since, they built a strong relationship until the demise of the retired keeper.
Makinwa recounts his first moments with the keeper, who was a member of Nigeria’s first squad to the World Cup in 1994.
“I met him when I signed with Rayo and he came to spend the weekend in my apartment in Madrid. He was a very simple guy. One evening, I went to training, only to come back and meet him in the kitchen cooking and cleaning,” Makinwa said.
He added, “I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. Wilfred was a big player in Africa and in Spain, so I didn’t believe he could do that. And he said to me, ‘Humility is the key to life.’ I never knew a person of his status could be so simple. He once gave me his Mercedes Benz for days to drive to training when my car was faulty. He was such a simple man and we were very close before he died.”
Makinwa thus was one of the first people to bring to Nigerians the news and picture of a dying Agbonavbare on Facebook, on January 22, five days before he gave up the ghost.
He posted, “This is Wilfred, ex-Super Eagles and professional player with Rayo, sick and hoping the Nigerian populace will pray for his quick recovery. I enjoin all Nigerians to please pray and pray for his quick recovery. Will be seeing him on Friday in the hospital and will brief you guys. Please PRAY FOR WILFRED.”
The widely-travelled Makinwa first got to know of his ailment few months ago. But Agbonavbare, who died aged 48, assured him that he would be fine in due course.
“Few months back, I went to see him and he told me he was diagnosed of throat cancer and that he had been treated because it was discovered at an early stage. He looked strong and fit. Later, he said he was travelling to the US for a second operation, which he said would make the ailment not to reoccur again.”
But a happy Makinwa was jolted when he learnt that Agbonavbare had returned to Spain and was in a critical condition. In fact, Makinwa was terrified when doctors told the ex-New Nigeria Bank keeper, that he had few hours left to live.
Makinwa added, “Two months after he travelled, I called his phone but it was switched off. I thought he was still in the US. But about four weeks ago, someone called his manager, Andrew Iduh, and told him that Wilfred was transferred from a US hospital in Florida to Spain and that he was seriously ill.
“So, we ran to the hospital and saw him struggling for life. He was too lean and was looking horrible. The hospital bills in the US was too much for him and he had to come back to Spain, where we have a standard social security health insurance.
“But he was told at the hospital he had few days left to live after he underwent a new diagnosis.”
Makinwa, who played for Portuguese side Vitoria Setubal, was beside Agbonavbare on his sickbed on the night he died. He said he was horrified watching the ex-keeper lose the battle against death.
Indeed the chubby-cheeked and lively man was a shadow of himself. He had shrunk and became pale as he gradually lost the fight to remain alive.
“I was with him till his last night. It was horrible, I don’t want to remember what happened that night,” he said.
“It was hectic and we knew it was over for him. He couldn’t breathe and we were asking the nurse to bring in oxygen. He was coughing uncontrollably and it was clear he was uncomfortable. The nurse said, ‘this man is too strong, if not he would have since given up.’
“When they finally brought the oxygen, he just waved the pack off. Then he gave up the ghost. Indeed he was a strong man.”
Before Agbonavbare gave up the ghost, Makinwa said he prayed his old club Rayo to help him realise his long-term wish: to see his children again after 13 years.
Agbonavbare was said to have relocated his three children to Nigeria after he reportedly spent his life savings trying to save his late wife, who was then suffering from breast cancer.
He then resorted to menial jobs to make ends meet. He was allegedly seen at the Madrid Barajas airport carrying loads for travelers.
“When the officials of Rayo Vallecano came to see Agbonavbare on his sickbed, he said he would be happy to see his children again. Immediately, the club contacted the embassy in Nigeria and his children were given visas in two days. It’s unprecedented in the Spanish embassy.
“Unfortunately the day the kids came, the man gave up the ghost. They did not see him alive. The children only came to meet him lying in state because he died at 7.30am while they came later that day. They were disappointed, tired and worried. It was a sad event.”
Agbonavbare began his professional club career in 1983 at the defunct New Nigeria Bank in Benin, winning the domestic league title and the WAFU Cup before moving to BCC Lions in 1990.
He moved to then Spanish second division side Rayo Vallecano in 1990 and became an instant hero and the fans favourite. In his second season at the club, Agbonavbare played in all 38 league games conceding 27 goals, the second-best performance by a keeper in the second division, as Rayo Vallecano gained promotion to La Liga after a two-year absence.
After six years at the club on the outskirts of Madrid, playing 177 games, he spent the 1996/97 season at Ecija before he retired at 31.
At international level, Agbonavbare was a member of the history-making 1983 Flying Eagles, which became the first team ever to represent Nigeria at a FIFA-organised World Cup – the 1983 U-20 World Cup in Mexico.
He went on to play for the Eagles and spent 10 years in the senior national team. The highlight of his career was winning the 1994 African Cup of Nations and being part of the Eagles’ squad to the 1994 World Cup, the first time ever by Nigeria.
But in his time of need, Agbonavbare was helpless on his sickbed, left to his fate by his country. Officials of Rayo Vallecano organised a campaign: #FuerzaWilfred (Wilfred Force) and raised €21,106.90 to assist the ex-keeper fight against the deadly disease.
They also facilitated the fast issuance of visas and airfare of Agbonavbare’s kids to Spain from Nigeria as well as naming one of the gates at their home ground after him when he died.
But the Nigeria Football Federation kept mum even as the world sent goodwill messages to Agbonavbare, only to react through a press statement after the demise of the man.
“NFF sad at death of ‘Flying Cat’ Agbonavbare,” was the headline of the statement sent by the football body’s Assistant Director (Communications), Ademola Olajire.
In expressing his ‘sadness’, NFF vice president, Seyi Akinwunmi, said, “This is another true hero gone to rest too early. Agbonavbare was a patriot of the first grade and his contributions to Nigeria football on-field can never be forgotten.”
Makinwa said Agbonavbare’s ex-teammates informed the NFF of his condition and appealed for help from them to no avail.
He said, “We prayed and called on the NFF through Taju Disu, his ex-teammate at Mexico ’83 but there was no response. We were planning to move him to a private hospital if there were funds but all to no avail. And the man was dying with every day that passed. It was terrible and the first time in my life I felt I couldn’t help.
“They wrote an official letter to NFF and the Presidency. The Mexico ’83 lads in the US told me they wrote the NFF an official letter and I did not send any letter afterwards. Taju Disu, Paul Okoku, Chibbuzor Ehilegbu, Segun Olukanmi, Femi Olukanmi, Humphrey Edobor, Dehinde Akinlotan and Augustine Igbinabaro were Wilfred’s ex-mates in the US that spearheaded the letter to the NFF.”
But Olajire denied any receipt of a letter from the ex-players.
“I didn’t see any letter,” he said.
Agbonavbare’s ex-teammate, Taju Disu, said he and eight other members of the Mexico ’83 squad actually contacted the NFF to intimate them of Agbonavbare’s plight.
He said, “Before he passed away, we did (write a letter to NFF) but we heard nothing from them. Wilfred was buried in Spain but there was nobody or delegation from the NFF that attended his burial. It’s not right.
“Okoku got in touch with the federation and they promised to help until he died. Even after his death, they did nothing.
“A letter was also written to President Goodluck Jonathan through the DG, NSC and the Minister of Sports to help Wilfred.
“Look at how Rayo Vallecano honoured Wilfred. This is a club he left long time ago. But his country he did everything for didn’t care about him. If we had the financial capacity, we would have paid the bills. That is why we asked the government to help but nobody cared.”
Disu said the federation’s attitude did not come to him as a surprise, describing their reaction after the ex-player’s death as ‘eye service.’
“We are not surprised nothing was done for Wilfred. Those before us, who were better like Haruna Ilerika, Sam Ojebode and Aloysius Atuegbu died unheralded. So who am I or Wilfred? I was at Best Ogedegbe’s burial; there was no NFF presence.
“As far as I’m concerned, their response after Wilfred’s death is eye service, so that people won’t say they didn’t do anything. When he was alive, they left him to his fate but when he died, they became sad. Who are they trying to deceive? It’s medicine after death.”
Disu said if Agbonavbare’s death truly saddened the federation, then they should lend a helping hand to his three kids.
“His kids are there, three of them, but they have not told us what they want to do for them. I won’t encourage my kids to play for Nigeria. It’s sad, these are some of the issues we need to address.
“We don’t blame the current players when they demand for money before playing for the country because they have seen how others have been treated and they don’t want to take chances.”
BY ’TANA AIYEJINA
