FIFA announced the sad news on its official website on Friday that former Nigeria legendary international goalkeeper Peter Rufai, who had won the African Cup of Nations with the team, has passed away due to long illness at the age of 61.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino wrote in the obituary: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai, who had represented his country in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups."

"Peter was not only an excellent player, but also an amiable and helpful person off the field. He gave the most glorious chapter in the history of Nigerian and even African football, and left an important mark that will never be forgotten."

"On behalf of FIFA and everyone in the world football family, I would like to express my most sincere condolences and sympathy to Peter's family, friends, teammates, coaches, teams he played for, the Nigerian Football Association, the African Football Confederation and fans. May Peter rest in peace."

In addition, FIFA has also lowered the Nigerian flag outside its headquarters to half-mast to mourn Rufai.

According to related reports from the BBC, Rufai's father was the chief of a local tribe in Idumuje-Udor, Nigeria. When he unfortunately passed away in 1998, Rufai even took leave to return to the local area to attend his father's funeral which was held in traditional tribal rituals.

However, it is said that Rufai himself declined the hereditary tradition of inheriting his father's tribal chieftainship, so it is still unknown how his funeral will be held.

After the news of Rufai's death, the country former Arsenal legend Nwankwo Kanu quickly led Peter Moussa, Wilfried Ndidi and other current Nigeria international players to mourn the deceased.

Rufai will also become the seventh legendary member of the golden generation of Nigerian football to pass away after Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Thompson Eliha, Uche Okafor and manager Shuaibu Amodu.

About Peter Rufai

Rufai, nicknamed "Dodo Mayana", was born in Lagos, Nigeria on August 24, 1963. He is 1.87 meters tall and played as a goalkeeper. His eldest son, Sambaty, is also a former professional football player, who played as a midfielder, and has now retired.

Rufai played for local Nigerian clubs Stationery Stones and Femo Scorpions when he was young, and joined Benin club Dragons de l'Ouémé in 1986.

In January of the following year, Rufai joined K.S.C. Lokeren, and completed his K.S.C. Lokeren first-team debut in April of the same year, thus started playing his trade in Europe in his career.

In the summer of 1991, Rufai moved to the city's rival K.S.K Beveren, but due to threats and opposition from radical fans, he never got a chance to play.

In July 1993, Rufai joined Go Ahead Eagles. During which, he helped the club successfully avoid relegation.

In the summer of the following year, Rufai joined Sporting Clube Farense.

During his two-and-a half-year spell with he played for the Os Leões do Algarve, Rufai was highly praised for his excellent saves and won the Portuguese Primeira Liga opportunity to participate in the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

In January 1997, Rufai joined Hercules, but was relegated due to the entire team's poor form.

In July of the same year, Rufai moved to Deportivo La Coruña to become the first-choice back-up for former Cameroon legendary international goalkeeper Jacques Songo'o, who was the club's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper at the time.

In July 1999, Rufai returned to Portugal to join Gil Vicente, but chose to retire the following summer.

After retiring, Rufai settled in Spain in 2003, and later returned to Nigeria to live as he had opened his own football academy in Lagos.

At the international level, Rufai has been a member of the Nigeria national team since July 1983.

As a member of the Super Eagles, Rufai played 65 times for Nigeria in all competitions across five years, conceded 32 goals and kept 12 clean sheets. He won the 1994 African Cup of Nations with the team and made it to the round of 16s in the World Cup in the United States that year. He even scored a penalty in the African Cup of Nations qualifier match against Ethiopia, which became the only goal in his career.