President Muhammadu Buhari has extended condolences to the family of Ismaila Abubakar, popularly known as Ismaila Mabo, a former coach of the Nigerian female football team, the Super Falcons.
The president, in a statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, on Monday in Abuja joined the family in mourning their husband and father, who died on Monday, aged 80.
Mabo was a seasoned football manager, credited to have worked with and managed some of the best talented female players in Nigeria’s football history.
He was also a legendary footballer in the domestic league, making his mark as a player and captain of Mighty Jets of Jos and also representing the country as a formidable central defender with the Green Eagles.
He was also the head coach of the Nigeria women’s national team at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2000 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics.
According to the president, Mabo’s legacy will live on in the players and the coaches that came in contact with him during his career, as well as the young athletes that will draw inspiration from his managerial abilities in the years to come.
The president prayed that the memory of the departed would be a blessing to those who mourned.
