Majib Ismaila Mabo, the son of the late former Super Falcons coach Ismaila Mabo, has exclusively shared his father’s final words before his death. The former Falcons coach died in the early hours of Monday morning at his residence in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, after a prolonged illness. Regarded as the most successful Nigerian coach in women’s football, Mabo led the Super Falcons to their best‑ever performance at the Women’s World Cup—a quarter‑final finish at the 1999 edition—and also coached the side at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.
Speaking with The …, Majib revealed his father’s last remarks and his request to the Falcons. “Two days before his demise, my father’s last words were about the Super Falcons, and he never stopped talking about the players who were with him. He said he was proud of his girls and mentioned names like Mercy Akide, Lami Adio, Patience Avre and many others. He told me they had assisted him financially to support his health issues. All this came two days ago, but we never realized he was sending a message. He said he was very proud of the team and hoped the current Falcons would continue to make us proud.”
Majib, who is currently an assistant coach with Mighty Jets, also clarified the conflicting reports about his late father’s age. While the Nigeria Football Federation stated that the coach died at 80, Wikipedia listed his age as 78. “He was born in July 1944, so he would have turned 79 on his next birthday. We thank God for the life he lived; he was loved by everyone, and almost everyone regarded him as a father, which is something we are proud of,” he said.
Ismaila Mabo was among the founding fathers of Mighty Jets FC in 1969 and became the club’s first and longest‑serving captain. He was fondly called “Field Marshal,” “Skippo,” or “Captain Fantastic” during his playing days. He represented the national team, then known as the Green Eagles, alongside Sam Garba Okoye and the Atuegbu brothers. He attended his first professional coaching course in Hungary in 1976/77 and returned home to coach Mighty Jets, later completing additional courses in Germany and other European countries.
After leaving the Plateau State Sports Council in 1991, he became an assistant to the late Falcons coach Paul Hamilton, marking the beginning of his distinguished career in women’s football. Under his guidance, the Super Falcons won their first Women’s Nations Cup in 1998, scoring 28 goals without conceding, and captured another AWCON title in 2000. He led the team to the Sydney Olympics, then returned home to win the gold medal at the African Games by defeating Cameroon 1‑0, and steered the Falcons to the quarter‑finals of the 1999 Women’s World Cup—a record that still stands.
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