Rafiu Ladipo: Thunder ‘Balogun’s wife simply unforgettable

The President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has said in Lagos during the week that, the roles played by the wife of Nigeria’s soccer icon, Alhaja Mulikat, in making her husband, Teslimi ‘Thunder’ Balogun, the greatest of all Nigeria’s soccer greats, remains unforgettable, as the family celebrates the 26th year memorial of the demise of their mother, Alhaja Mulikat Balogun, today 25th May 2024.

He noted that, Alhaja Mulikat was directly and indirectly responsible for the great contributions and indellible marks her husband made to the future of Nigerian football as well as the monumental football development in the last fifty years and more.

He added: “Whenever Alhaja Mulikat was at the stadium to watch and support her husband play competitive football games, you are sure of a superlative performance by Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun. This made supporters look out for her in the stadium before kick off. With the hope their team was out to get great results. This was the scenario, until the retirement from active football. This was the case in both local and international games.”

He stressed: “It was Alhaja Mulikat, an uncompromising football lover that reminded her husband, Teslim Balogun, his promise to return to Nigeria from England where he was playing professional football in the English League.

The late Teslimi ‘Thunder’ Balogun, was at the time a professional soccer star with Queens Park Rangers Football Club of England.

He revealed that, ‘Thunder’ Balogun’s return to Nigeria was in fulfillment of the promise he made to the late Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who persuaded him to return to Nigeria to play for Western Rovers in the prestigious Challenge Cup, now called President’s Cup.

“She didn’t stop there, but also followed up in supporting her husband in his sorjourn in the national team of Nigeria.

“She made it her duty to be physically present at all the venues where national team of Nigeria played their games supporting her husband all through massively.

“Alhaja Mulikat, was the biggest supporter of ‘Thunder’ Balogun when he played competitive club football games in the city of Lagos.

“It was believed that, with her ever presence in all those historic games he played in club football, it was Alhaja Mulikat who gave him the motivation to score all those unforgettable historic goals he scored in his entire football career. She was there all the time,” Dr. Rafiu Ladipo noted.