Ismaila Mabo, Former Head Coach of Super Falcons, Nigeria’s women’s senior national team, has died at the age of 79, after suffering from an illness.
The former Mighty Jets of Jos captain and ex-international passed away at his residence in Jos early Monday morning and is expected to be buried shortly thereafter according to Islamic rites.
Mabo is regarded as one of the most successful Nigerian coaches in women’s football after leading the Super Falcons to the quarterfinals of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States, shortly after his appointment.
It is Nigeria’s best-ever outing at the Women’s World Cup till date. Mabo was also the team’s coach at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games in Australia.
He left the team in 2002 but returned two years later to lead Super Falcons at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games in Greece.