Former Nigerian international and first women’s African Cup of Nations(WAFCON) winning coach, Ismaila Mabo died on March 13, 2023, in Jos, after a long illness, the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed.
The 1998 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winning coach died in the early hours of Monday, aged 80.
Mabo was unquestionably Africa’s most successful women’s coach, having led Nigeria to the first WAFCON title in 1998, scoring 28 goals without conceding.
He later led the team to Africa’s best finish at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a quarterfinal berth in the USA edition, the best result ever achieved by an African team.
Mabo received praise for nurturing many female players among them, Cynthia Uwak and Perpetua Nkwocha, who both went on to win the CAF African Women’s Player of the Year award during his time as Super Falcons coach.
Additionally, he was also the only coach to qualify Nigeria for all women’s international events.
He qualified the Super Falcons for the 1998 and 2000 WAFCON, the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games.
Mabo, who also represented Nigeria at the senior level as a defender, made his debut in a 1972 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Congo in Brazzaville on November 30, 1970.
He was put to rest on Tuesday in Jos, where Islamic funeral rites were performed.
A mammoth crowd in the Plateau State capital witnessed his burial ceremony.
