By OLUWASEYI ODUNEYE-OGUNWOMOJU

Mr Oyekunle Onigbinde, the last child of the late national coach, Festus Onigbinde, has said that though his father was sick, he fought well to stay alive.

Oyekunle said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.

The deceased’s son, who described his father as a generous person who cared for all, said his death, on Monday, was a huge shock.

“He fought well to stay alive.

“He was sick, but due to old age, his body couldn’t fight the recovery.

“My father was very accommodating; he pulled everyone together.

“He didn’t care who you were; he just wanted everyone happy and united.

“He was the string that knitted many together,” he said.

Meanwhile, a renowned sports analyst, Tayo Balogun, told NAN that his 40-minute phone conversation with the deceased in 2025 would forever linger in his memory.

“We went down memory lane, and I thanked him for being who he was: painstaking, foresighted, forthright, forthcoming and incredibly hardworking.

“I told him I appreciated him and that I was calling to let him know that his contributions to Nigerian football will always be footnoted in history.

“During the call, I noticed his voice had lost some of its vibration. He attributed this to old age, claiming he was as fit as a fiddle.

“He asked after my TV Gang of Feyi Ogunduyile and Modele Sarafa-Yusuf (then known as Oshiinaike),” he said.

Balogun said he praised Onigbinde for what he did to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).

“He actually changed the name from IICC Shooting Stars.

“I asked him if he remembered that I asked him why he was practising penalty kicks after 3SC had comprehensively beaten Tonnere Kalara Club of Yaounde at the Liberty Stadium, just before the second leg match.

“He told me Remi Asuni, the then Oyo State FA Chairman, asked him the same question and that he answered that ‘If we can beat them 4-0 in Ibadan, they may pay us back in Yaounde’,” he said.

The 73-year-old veteran analyst said he praised him for his bravery in choosing his players for the 2002 World Cup.

“I told him I understood why he included Mutiu Adepoju, but did not understand why he didn’t play him in any of the matches.

“He said that was the only mistake he made, but that if I noticed we were quite close in all the matches we played and if he brought in Mutiu and we lost, it would be blamed on Adepoju,” he said.

Balogun said that Onigbinde was the most thorough Nigerian coach he knew.

“Each year, he would draw up a list of requirements for his team.

“With Shooting Stars, he would get 20 per cent, and with the Eagles, he didn’t even get 10 per cent.

“All the same, he got spectacular results with both teams.

“He was the first coach to take a group of rookies like Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Paul Okoku, Femi Olukanmi and others to Ghana and beat the then dreaded Black Stars in their country.

“Onigbinde’s memory will remain indelible.

“He was a gentleman, humble and highly intelligent.

“I am glad I got to know you, sir,” he said. (NAN)

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