Mamuwa took to his social media account to share the sad news, writing “Inna lillahi wa Inna ilaihir raji’un, I just lost my elder brother this morning, Coach Mabo Ismaila, former Chief Coach of Super Falcons of Nigeria, may Aljanna Firdausi b his final abode, Ameen thumma Ameen.”
Ismaila Mabo served as the head coach of the senior women’s national team during the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2000 Summer Olympics, and 2004 Summer Olympics. He was instrumental in leading Nigeria to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, which still remains the team’s best-ever result in the competition.
Born in Jos, Plateau State in 1942, Ismaila Mabo began his football coaching career in 1967 at the Plateau United Football Club. He later joined the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), where he served as the head coach of the senior men’s national team, the Super Eagles, between 1988 and 1989.
Mabo later went on to become the head coach of the Super Falcons, where he achieved remarkable success. He helped the team win their first African Women’s Championship title in 1991, before going on to win the title again in 1995, 1998, and 2000.
Under his leadership, the Super Falcons also achieved success on the global stage, where they reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in 1999. They also participated in the Olympic Games twice, in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.
Ismaila Mabo’s death has come as a shock to many football enthusiasts and fans in Nigeria and beyond. He will always be remembered as a legendary coach who left an indelible mark on Nigerian football.
His funeral rites are expected to take place later on Monday in Jos, Plateau State, where he will be laid to rest. His contributions to Nigerian football will never be forgotten, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.