Oshoala pays respect to Peter Rufai during WAFCON opener against Tunisia

Super Falcons superstar Asisat Oshoala paid homage to the recently departed Super Eagles legendary goalkeeper Peter Rufai during Nigeria’s opening game at the WAFCON. 

As Pulse Sports reported, the former Super Eagles shot-stopper passed away peacefully at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

According to Radio Nigeria, Rufai had been battling the illness for a while before he died. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed Rufai’s death in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the tributes have rolled in since. 

The Super Falcons opened their WAFCON campaign with a 3-0 victory over Tunisia. Asisat Oshoala began the scoring, with goals from Rinsola Babajide and Chiwendu Ihezuo completing the rout. 

The Bay FC star paid tribute to ‘Dodomanyana’ during the match, as he wore a white tape on her wrist with Peter Rufai written on it in what seemed like black marker ink. 

Meanwhile, one of the other goalscorers on the day, Babajide, paid respect for Diogo Jota, who died on the same day as Peter Rufai. After scoring in the 45th minute, she sat on the grass with her legs crossed and did the ‘gamer’ celebration popularised by the departed Liverpool star.