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Former Nigeria defender and most successful head coach of the senior women’s national team, Ismaila Mabo passed away on Monday, March 13 at the age of 80.
Family sources confirmed to SNA that Mabo, who led Nigeria to win the inaugural Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 1998, died in the early hours of Monday after a protracted illness.
During his active days, Mabo, a central defender, shone for Nigeria academicals that defeated Ghana’s academicals 1-0 in Accra on 13th February 1966, before a 2-1 second leg triumph in Lagos six days later. He also represented the country, with his debut in an Afcon qualifying match against Congo in Brazzaville on 22nd November 1970.
At club level, he was an accomplished footballer as he starred for Mighty Jets of Jos between late 1960s and 1970s.
As coach, he led the Super Falcons to its best ever outing at the FIFA Women's World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals at the USA 1999 edition just a year after guiding the team to an inaugural Women's Africa Cup of Nations success before coaching the team to back-to-back Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004.
Reacting to his demise, Nigeria Football Federation president Ibrahim Gusau described the former Nigeria defender and veteral tactician as a role model for other coaches in the country.
“The death of Pa Ismaila Mabo came to me as a huge shock. Again, we have lost a great man and an accomplished trainer-of-trainers in the Nigeria Football fraternity, and my heart goes out to his immediate family and the other loved ones he has left behind," Gusau said in a statement.
“Mabo laid down a big marker for other coaches when he steered the Super Falcons to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the USA in 1999. Yet, he was simple, humble and humane. We will miss him, but we are consoled that he left giant footprints in the sands of time and pray that God will grant him eternal rest.”
