Oyekunle, the last child of the late ex-Nigeria coach Festus Onigbinde, has said though his father was sick, he fought well to stay alive.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan yesterday, Oyekunle, who described his father as a generous person who cared for all, said his death, on Monday, was a huge shock. He said: “He fought well to stay alive.

He was sick, but due to old age, his body couldn’t fight the recovery. My father was very accommodating; he pulled everyone together. “He didn’t care who you were; he just wanted everyone happy and united. He was the string that knitted many together.”

Meanwhile, a renowned sports analyst, Tayo Balogun, told NAN that his 40-minute phone conversation with the deceased in 2025 would forever linger in his memory.

He said: “We went down memory lane, and I thanked him for being who he was: painstaking, foresighted, forthright, forthcoming and incredibly hardworking. “I told him I appreciated him and that I was calling to let him know that his contributions to Nigerian football will always be footnoted in history.

“During the call, I noticed his voice had lost some of its vibration. He attributed this to old age, claiming he was as fit as a fiddle.”