Wilfred Agbonavbare


Wilfred Agbonavbare was a Nigerian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He spent the better part of his professional career with Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, appearing in 189 competitive matches over six seasons.

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 División.
In his second season with the Madrid outskirts club, Agbonavbare appeared in all 38 league games 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 Écija Balompié, 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 Príncipe de Asturias in Alcalá de Henares.
Both Agonavbare's former team Rayo Vallecano and its opponents Atlético Madrid displayed a banner during their league match at the Vicente Calderón Stadium on 24 January that read "Fuerza Wilfred". He succumbed to the disease three days later, aged 48.