As preparations heighten for the 53rd posthumous anniversary of late Nigerian football legend, Teslim Thunder Balogun, former Super Eagles coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has declared Balogun as “Nigeria’s greatest footballer of all time.”

The tribute comes ahead of the memorial celebration slated for Wednesday, July 30, 2025, where the Balogun family will honour the enduring legacy of the trailblazing striker who transformed Nigerian football in the mid-20th century.

Chief Onigbinde, a revered figure in Nigerian football with two spells as Super Eagles head coach, extolled Balogun’s unmatched skills and achievements.

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“The greatest footballer Nigeria ever produced was Teslim Balogun, there’s no doubt about it,” Onigbinde said.

“He did many things with the ball that players before him, those of his time, and even those after, have not been able to replicate.”

Teslim Balogun, fondly nicknamed “Thunder” for his powerful shots, left an indelible mark on Nigerian football.

A prolific striker, he represented the national team for 12 years, winning the Challenge Cup five times in seven final appearances, and famously becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the competition in 1953.

His prowess caught international attention during the 1949 tour of the United Kingdom with a Nigerian select team.

He later returned to the UK in 1955 to sign with Peterborough United, had a brief spell with Skegness Town, and eventually joined Queens Park Rangers, where he scored three goals in 13 league appearances during the 1956/57 season.

Beyond his playing days, Balogun made history as the first African to become a professionally certified football coach, later coaching the Nigerian national team at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

Chief Onigbinde recalled one of Balogun’s most memorable moments on the pitch: “The greatest goal I’ve ever seen scored by any player was by Balogun at the Olubadan Stadium in 1968, during a match between the national team, the UK Tourists, and England.”

As the Balogun family prepares to mark his 53rd memorial anniversary, tributes continue to pour in for a man whose influence extended beyond football.

Teslim Balogun is remembered not only as a sportsman of rare talent but also as a pioneer who paved the way for generations of Nigerian and African footballers.

The Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, named in his honour, stands as a lasting symbol of his contributions to Nigerian sport and national pride.