Former Super Eagles head coach Monday Sinclair has passed away at the age of 88.
His death was confirmed by former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peterside Idah in a post shared on Facebook.
It was reported that Sinclair died on Wednesday around 3:15 p.m.
“Our daddy is gone. What a man. He signed me to play for Sharks. Gave me my first match against Niger Tornadoes of Minna,” Idah wrote.
“The first day he saw me come to train with Sharks, he said, ‘My friend, are you a boxer?’ He said I was built like Tyson. From that day I found me a football father. I became very close to him and his family, with Puppa K as a very close brother.”
Sinclair’s Interim Role with the Super Eagles in 1997
In 1997, Sinclair briefly served as interim head coach of the Super Eagles following the dismissal of Frenchman Philippe Troussier. During his short tenure, he led the team in international friendlies against Zambia (a doubleheader) and Tunisia.
The Eagles lost the first match against Zambia 2-0 and drew the second. They later fell 2-0 to Tunisia in the final of the four-nation LG Cup in August 1997.
Coaching Career Highlights
Sinclair began his coaching journey with Sharks FC of Port Harcourt and later managed several clubs, including Niger Tornadoes, Enugu Rangers, Heartland, Bayelsa United, and Equatorial Guinea’s national team.
He made his national team debut on February 27, 1963, during a Kwame Nkrumah Cup game in Accra, where Nigeria lost 4–0 to Senegal.
Sinclair is credited with discovering several Nigerian football talents, such as Richard Owubokiri, Benjy Nziakor, the late Peter Rufai, Finidi George, Taribo West, Davidson Owumi, Peterside Idah, Binebi Numa, and Imama Amapakabo.