Ismaila Mabo, a former head coach of the Super Falcons, the senior women’s national team of Nigeria, passed away on Monday morning at the age of 79.
The former national player and captain of the Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos passed away at his home in Jos, Plateau State, following a protracted illness, according to family sources.
According to Muslim customs, the funeral activities have started with prayers at the family home in Jos and the burial at the Zaria Road Burial Ground.
One of the coach’s children, Najib Mabo, described the loss of his father to the family and the country as a whole as being significant.
The late Ismaila Mabo led the Super Falcons at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and also served as head coach at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004.
At the 1999 World Cup, he led the Super Falcons to their best-ever showing as they advanced to the quarterfinals.
Mabo guided the Super Falcons to their first-ever victory in the AWCON in 1998, scoring 28 goals and allowing none to take the inaugural championship.
He also oversaw the Falcons’ successful AWCON championship defense in South Africa in 2000.
The illustrious coach spent his entire playing career as a center defender for Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos before switching to coaching.