Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, former head coach of the Nigeria national football team, popularly known as the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 88.
Family members confirmed that the veteran football tactician passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Details surrounding his death were not immediately disclosed, while the family is expected to announce burial arrangements later.
Onigbinde was widely respected as one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous football coaches, with a career that spanned several decades in coaching, football administration and technical development.
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Born on March 5, 1938, in Modakeke, Osun State, he dedicated much of his life to the growth of football in Nigeria and across Africa, earning recognition for his deep understanding of the game and commitment to developing local coaching talent.
He first took charge of the national team in the early 1980s and led Nigeria to the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished runners-up.
Nearly two decades later, he returned to manage the Super Eagles and guided
the team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted by Japan and South Korea.
Beyond his work with the national team, Onigbinde served as a technical instructor for FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, where he played a key role in training and mentoring coaches across the continent.
His passing marks the end of an era in Nigerian football, as many remember him for his influence in shaping the country’s coaching structure and contributing to the development of the game.