Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, could not hold back his emotions on Friday as he spoke to journalists at the funeral of ex-Nigeria goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.
The ex-Inter Milan star, visibly shaken, expressed deep grief over the treatment meted out to Rufai after retirement, describing it as a sh@meful reflection of how Nigeria handles its football heroes.
“I share the p@ins and burdens with the Rufai family,” West said. “It is dishe@rtening that Lagos State and the Nigerian Football Federation dropped the buck on them. This is not how a nation should treat those who gave everything on the field.”
Struggling to keep his emotions in check, West recounted how the news of Rufai’s de@th hit him harder than the loss of his own parents. “When my mother passed, I didn’t shed tears. When my father d+ed in my hands, I didn’t cry. But when Rufai d+ed, I had goosebumps and tears rolled down my cheeks. What kind of nation treats its heroes like this?”
The former defender accused football authorities of neglect, pointing to similar cases of late Nigerian stars Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, all of whom, he said, were abandoned in their final years.
“Imagine a family crying and begging among themselves just to raise money to bury a national hero. That is m@dness,” West fumed. “With this kind of example, I would never advise my son to play for this country. Do we even have a football federation in this Nigeria?”
Taribo West ended his remarks by urging authorities to wake up to their responsibilities in honoring and supporting retired players who s@crificed for the country.
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