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A former Green Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Fregene, is dead at age 77.
Ex-international and close friend of the deceased, Segun Odegbami, confirmed this in a post on Sunday.
According to Odegbami, the Nigerian football legend during a protracted illness, breathed his last in the presence of his wife, Tina, and two of his children.
“A few minutes ago, Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, OLY, former goalkeeper for Nigeria’s Green Eagles, who has been on life support for the past one week, passed on to meet his creator.
“He died quietly in the presence of two of his children and his devoted wife, Tina,” Odegbami wrote on Sunday.
Odegbami, in the message, also appreciated all who had rallied around the football icon during his illness.
“On behalf of all generations of Nigerian footballers, Olympians, sports persons, his family, friends, fans, and a few incredible Nigerians that quietly rallied round and, with their support, prayers and the will of the creator of the Universe, kept him alive until this night, I say a big ‘thank you’,” he stated.
Fregene, who represented Nigeria at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and featured prominently in the national team during the 1960s and 70s, was known for his incredible reflexes and resilience between the posts.
His exploits earned him the nickname ‘Apo,’ a reference to his agility in goal.
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