The Nigeria Football Federation has saluted former Nigeria captain, Dr. Felix Owolabi, as the legend celebrated his 70th birthday anniversary at the weekend.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said the former wing wizard deserves all the adulation on the occasion of his Platinum Jubilee Anniversary, given his immense contributions to Nigerian football both as a player of great repute and as an administrator.
“The NFF congratulates Dr. Felix Owolabi Akinloye on this landmark occasion of his 70th birthday anniversary. It is not everyone who gets to attain the septuagenarian level,” Sanusi said.
“We celebrate him for his many wonderful outings for Nigeria and his excellent service as an administrator after his playing days.
“As a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, we value his contributions at meetings and advice and suggestions through the telephone on the direction that Nigeria Football and the various National Teams should take each time.”
Owolabi, fondly nicknamed Owoblow, who started as a defender, later transformed into a menacing winger for then Green Eagles, and played a key role as Nigeria won their first Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in 1980.
Owolabi was captain of the Nigeria team to the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations in Libya, where the team could not successfully defend the 1980 title.
The pacy forward retired from international duty afterwards, but continued playing club football, and was in then IICC Shooting Stars FC (now 3SC) that won the inaugural edition of the CAF Cup in 1992.
