Former interim head coach of the Super Eagles, Monday Sinclair, has died at the age of 88. His passing was confirmed on Wednesday by ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper Peterside Idah, who once played under Sinclair at Sharks FC and regarded him as a mentor and father figure.
In an emotional tribute shared on Facebook, Peterside wrote:
“Our daddy is gone. What a man. He signed me to play for Sharks and gave me my first match against Niger Tornadoes of Minna. The first day he saw me at training, he asked, ‘My friend, are you a boxer?’ He said I was built like Tyson. From that moment, I found myself a football father. I became very close to him and his family, with Puppa K as a very close brother.”
Sinclair’s playing career included representing the Green Eagles—Nigeria’s national team of the 1960s. Renowned for his keen eye for talent and deep commitment to developing football at the grassroots level, he left a lasting imprint on the sport in Nigeria.
He began his coaching career with the now-defunct Sharks FC of Rivers State and later managed several prominent Nigerian clubs, including Niger Tornadoes, Enugu Rangers, and Bayelsa United.
In 1997, Sinclair took on the role of interim coach for the Super Eagles and subsequently served as the head coach of the Equatorial Guinea national team.
Throughout his career, he mentored a generation of Nigerian football stars, including Peter Rufai, Taribo West, Finidi George, and Peterside Idah.
His death follows closely on the heels of another major loss in Nigerian football—former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai—who recently passed away after a prolonged illness.
Monday Sinclair’s legacy lives on in the players he mentored and the countless lives he touched through football.
