Full name Wilfred Agbonavbare Playing position Role Footballer Position Goalkeeper | Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria Name Wilfred Agbonavbare Height 1.89 m | |
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Date of birth (1966-10-05)5 October 1966 Date of death 27 January 2015(2015-01-27) (aged 48) Place of death Alcala de Henares, Spain Died January 27, 2015, Alcala de Henares, Spain | ||
Wilfred agbonavbare a simple tribute
Wilfred Agbonavbare (5 October 1966 – 27 January 2015) was a Nigerian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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Club career
In his country, Lagos-born Agbonavbare played for New Nigeria Bank F.C. and BCC Lions FC. In 1990 he moved to Spain where he would spend the rest of his career, starting with Rayo Vallecano in Segunda Division.
In his second season with the Madrid outskirts club Agbonavbare appeared in all 38 league games (3,332 minutes of action, 27 goals conceded, second-best in the competition) as the team finished second and returned to La Liga after two years of absence. He continued to be first-choice in the following years, contributing with 31 matches to another top flight promotion in 1995.
In 1995–96, Agbonavbare lost his starting position to Spanish international Abel Resino. In the following summer he signed for second level side Ecija Balompie, being the most used player in his position but suffering team relegation; after one year in his country training to remain fit he retired due to lack of offers, at only 31.
International career
Agbonavbare appeared with the Nigerian under-20s at the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship in Mexico. He played for more than one decade with the full side, being selected for the 1994 African Cup of Nations and that year's FIFA World Cup, backing up Peter Rufai on both occasions.
Personal life
Agbonavbare settled in the Community of Madrid after retiring as a player, working as a delivery man and a goalkeeper coach. In late January 2015 it was revealed that he was suffering from cancer, and he subsequently underwent treatment at the Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias in Alcala de Henares.
Both Agonavbare's former team Rayo Vallecano and its opponents Atletico Madrid displayed a banner during their league match at the Vicente Calderon Stadium on 24 January that read "Fuerza Wilfred" (You Can Do It Wilfred). He succumbed to the disease three days later, aged 48.