13th March, 2023
President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his condolences to the family of Ismaila Muhammad Abubakar, a former coach of the Nigerian female football team, the Super Falcons, who died on Monday aged 80.
The President, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, joined Nigerians in mourning the loss of their husband and father, popularly known as Ismaila Mabo Nakande, who was a seasoned football manager, credited to have worked with and managed some of the best talented female players in Nigeria’s football history.
“Mabo 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.
“As 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, the President believes that 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 prays that the memory of the departed will be a blessing to those who mourn,” he said.