By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 25, 2023
A former Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, has praised the late wife of one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, Mulikat, as the family marks her 25th year anniversary Thursday (today).
Onigbinde said Mulikat played a major role in her late husband’s career and added that in some of the matches he watched Balogun play in his active days, his wife took it as a ritual to encourage her husband to score winning goals, before the kick-off of such games.
The coach, who led the Eagles to the 2002 World Cup, added that it was Mulikat who ensured Balogun returned to Nigeria to continue his football career when he first rejected the plea of then Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to help the West Rovers FC win the Challenge Cup, the biggest football competition in the country at the time.
The former FIFA and CAF Instructor disclosed that “this was a period ‘Thunder’ Balogun was midway into his career in the English Football League, playing for Queens Park Rangers FC in 1958. On his return, ‘Thunder’ helped West Rovers win the title in 1958 for the first time in history. His football excellence and artistry made the victory possible.”
Onigbinde added that looking into the future, Mulikat advised her husband to form a number of youth clubs in Lagos for the development of football in Nigeria, which he said formed the background of the foundation of new football teams in Nigeria.
Source Punch Ng
Posted May 25, 2023
You may also like...
Federer Begins Hunt for Title Number 100 in...
Drinkwater, Moses not in Chelsea plans — Sarri...
McGregor says he’d beat Mayweather in rematch
Why Nigeria stars will love Turkey – Omeruo...
The Emmanuel Zira Revelations And The ‘Skeletons’ In...
Okagbare to compete in three events at Rio...

Nnadozie tops WSL keepers’ chart
FULL LIST: Unai Simón joins World Cup clean-sheet greats as Barthez, Shilton remain joint leaders
Ashe declares readiness for Commonwealth Games
Amusan secures 2026 Diamond League final spot
Nigerians demand NFF overhaul after Eagles’ W’Cup absence
France, Spain battle for place in World Cup final
NSC hails Junior D’Tigers after AfroBasket qualification
Nigeria beat Burundi in Billie Jean King Cup opener
Falcons storm Casablanca camp ahead of WAFCON
Nwabali returns to Chippa United
I won’t let Pillars down – Ogunmodede
NSC allays fears over Chelle’s Eagles future
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,952 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,292 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,204 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,810 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,693 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,562 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,451 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,968 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,186 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,653 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,130 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,520 views)