Teslimi “Thunder” Balogun, the spouse of Nigeria’s football star Mulikat Balogun, is considered one of the country’s finest football players thanks to the contributions of Mulikat Balogun’s wife, according to Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club.
In Lagos on Friday, Ladipo made this statement as the family commemorates the 26-year anniversary of their mother Mulikat Balogun’s death on Saturday (today).
The significant contributions her husband made to the future of Nigerian football, he pointed out, were made both directly and indirectly by Mulikat.
“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 his retirement from active football. This was the case in both local and international games,” Ladipo stated.
“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 Balogun was at the time a professional footballer with Queens Park Rangers in England.
Ladipo stated that 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 the country to play for Western Rovers in the prestigious Challenge Cup, now called President’s Federation Cup.
“She didn’t stop there, she also followed up in supporting her husband in his sojourn in the national team,” Ladipo added.
“She made it her duty to be physically present at all the venues where the national team played, supporting her husband massively.
“Alhaja Mulikat, was the biggest supporter of ‘Thunder’ Balogun when he played competitive club football games in Lagos.”
