Oyekunle Onigbinde, the youngest child of the legendary football manager Festus Onigbinde, has shared that while his father faced health challenges, “he fought well to stay alive.”
In a Tuesday interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan, Oyekunle described the late coach as a pillar of the family and community who was “very accommodating” and acted as the “string that knitted many together.” He noted that while his father was ill, his “body couldn’t fight the recovery” due to the natural frailty of old age.
The passing has triggered a wave of nostalgia among those who worked closely with him. Renowned sports analyst Tayo Balogun recalled a poignant 40-minute phone call in 2025 where the coach, despite his voice losing some “vibration,” insisted he was “as fit as a fiddle.”
Balogun used the opportunity to thank the icon for being “painstaking, foresighted, forthright, forthcoming, and incredibly hardworking,” ensuring the coach knew his impact on Nigerian football would be “footnoted in history.”
Balogun highlighted Onigbinde’s tactical brilliance, specifically his era-defining work with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC)—the name he personally helped change from IICC Shooting Stars.
The analyst recalled Onigbinde’s legendary foresight, such as practicing penalties even after a 4-0 lead because he feared the opposition “may pay us back in Yaounde.” He also praised the coach’s bravery during the 2002 World Cup, where he famously integrated young talent and achieved “spectacular results” despite receiving minimal institutional support.
Describing him as the “most thorough Nigerian coach” he ever knew, Balogun lauded Onigbinde’s ability to succeed with rookies and beat dreaded rivals like the Black Stars on their own turf. The tribute painted a picture of a man who was “a gentleman, humble, and highly intelligent,” leaving behind a legacy that remains “indelible” in the hearts of sports fans and his family alike.