Ondopress
A Nigerian sports editor, Babatunde Koiki, has narrated his childhood days in Lagos and how he grew up with the legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai.
News broke on July 3, 2025, that the AFCON 1994 winner passed away at the age of 61, as pundits and fans have continued to pay tribute.
Reflecting on his growing up, Koiki narrated how Rufai grew up on the streets of Port Harcourt, claiming the ex-international was born in the north.
Although official records have it that Rufai was born in Lagos, but Koiki disagreed.
Speaking on News Central TV, he said:
“Rufai has a story that really should have been Nollywood movie. He wasn’t born in Lagos, he was born in northern Nigeria and then grew up in Port Harcourt, which is why when he speaks you can’t really get the Yoruba reflection in his speech. And he rarely converses in Yoruba.
“This was because just before the troubles. They were in northern Nigeria. His father escaped, ran back to Lagos, his mother also took off with him to Port Harcourt.
“Interestingly, from what I gathered, his first name wasn’t actually Peter. It was probably a Muslim name so if you juxtapose that with the trouble of them, it could pose a problem.
“So they gave him Peter Rufai. He grew up in Port Harcourt, got into goalkeeping by accident.
“I think they were playing a football game and I think the goalkeeper got angry and left, so he just joined, from there it became history.”
Ikpeba recalls last moment with Rufai Meanwhile, former Nigerian international Victor Ikpeba has shared his last conversation with the late Peter Rufai, who lost his battle with prolonged illness.
In a TikTok post, the 1997 African Player of the Year said the iconic goalkeeper still gave back to his immediate environment years after retiring from international and club football, per 777 Score.
The 1994 AFCON winner revealed that they both met at a function during the first quarter of the year, discussing the progress of the national team.
The Stationery Stores legend manned the goal for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 1983 to 1998, during which he won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and featured at two World Cups in 1994 and 1998.