Kashimawo Laloko, former Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has died at the age of 76.
He reportedly died on Sunday after a short illness.
The Punch quoted Laloko’s son, Adewale, confirming that his father has died.
According to Adewale, Laloko had been feeling weak before he died on Sunday.
He said his father died of weakness and not COVID-19
He disclosed that his father would be buried according to Muslim rites on Tuesday at his Gbonagun residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In November 1992, Laloko established the Pepsi Football Academy as a football school and based at the Agege Stadium.
The initiative secured the total backing of Pepsi in 1994 and has, since then, been titled the Pepsi Football Academy.
The Pepsi Football Academy, over the years has developed and grown into one of the most prestigious football academies in Nigeria.
Today, the Pepsi Football Academy comprises over 3,000 registered students aged between 6-18 years and operates throughout the year from 14 separate training centres and 54 coaches across Nigeria.
In January 2020, Laloko gave an honest assessment of the country’s football teams last year, claiming they underachieved.
That year, the Super Eagles finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and then underwhelmed at the WAFU tournament under the guidance of Imama Amapakabo.
In his assessment, Laloko had expressed displeasure at the disappointing showings and believed the country should have performed better, slamming the administrators and coaches.
“As far as I am concerned, we achieved nothing in football in 2019. At the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, we came third and Nigerians were jubilating. We have to call our football administrators to order because we should be achieving more,” he had said.
