Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has expressed deep sympathy to the family, colleagues, and supporters of High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, a respected Nigerian football administrator and former head coach of the country’s national football team, the Super Eagles.
Chief Onigbinde died on Monday, March 9, 2026, at the age of 88. His death has prompted tributes from across Nigeria’s football community and government institutions, reflecting his long and influential role in the development of the sport in the West African country.
In a message of condolence, President Tinubu extended his sympathies to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the governing body responsible for organizing football in Nigeria, and to the National Sports Commission (NSC), the federal government agency responsible for overseeing sports development in the country. The president also conveyed condolences to Chief Onigbinde’s professional colleagues and football supporters who followed his decades-long involvement in the game.
Okay News reports that Chief Onigbinde played a historic role in Nigerian football as the first indigenous Nigerian coach to manage the national team when he took charge of the Super Eagles in 1982. His appointment marked an important moment in the country’s sports history, as it represented a shift toward local leadership in the management of the national team.
President Tinubu praised the late football administrator for his lasting contributions to grassroots football development and for helping to strengthen football administration structures across Nigeria. Grassroots football programs are widely regarded as the foundation for discovering and nurturing young players who later represent the country at national and international levels.
The president also acknowledged Chief Onigbinde’s leadership during one of the notable periods in Nigeria’s football history. Under his guidance, the Super Eagles reached the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s premier international football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football.
President Tinubu described the late coach as a disciplined and principled sports administrator whose dedication to football left a lasting mark on the game in Nigeria. According to the president, Chief Onigbinde will be remembered for his integrity, foresight, and deep passion for football, which is popularly referred to in Nigeria as the round-leather game.
He also offered prayers for the peaceful repose of Chief Onigbinde’s soul and asked that comfort be granted to his family and loved ones during this period of mourning.
Chief Onigbinde, who held a traditional chieftaincy title in Modakeke, a historic town in Osun State in southwestern Nigeria, was widely respected for his decades of service to Nigerian football as both a coach and administrator.
His passing marks the end of an era for many in the country’s football community who regarded him as one of the pioneers of modern football management in Nigeria.
