Mudashiru Lawal

Mudashiru Babatunde "Muda" Lawal (8 June 1954 – 6 July 1991) was a Nigerian footballer who played as a midfielder for both club and country.

Muda Lawal

Personal information
Full name	Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal
Date of birth	8 June 1954
Place of birth	Abeokuta, British Nigeria
Date of death	6 July 1991(1991-07-06) (aged 37)
Place of death	Ibadan, Nigeria
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1984	Shooting Stars F.C.
1985–1986	Stationery Stores F.C.
1987–1988	Abiola Babes
1989–1991	Shooting Stars F.C.
International career
1975–1985	Nigeria	86	(12)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

He worked as an automobile mechanic before his football talents were discovered, and made his national team debut in 1975. The same year, he joined Shooting Stars F.C. of Ibadan, where he would play for many years. In 1976, he helped the club to their first continental title, winning the African Cup Winners Cup – the first Nigerian team to do so. In 1985 the club side was disbanded by a military governor. Muda returned to the side four seasons later as an assistant coach/player.

International career

Muda made his international debut in 1975, and won 86 caps and scored 12 goals for his country; he holds the record of being the only player on the continent to have appeared at five consecutive Nations' Cup finals (1976–1984). Lawal helped Nigeria to its first African Nations Cup title, at the 1980 African Nations Cup.^[1] The team also competed at the Summer Olympics the same year.

Lawal played his last international match on 18 August 1985, when Nigeria lost to Zambia in the 1986 African Cup of Nations qualifier.

Death

Lawal died at his home in 1991. The Ashero Stadium in his hometown Abeokuta was renamed the Mudashiru Lawal Stadium after him upon his death.

Honours

 Nigeria

• Africa Cup of Nations: 1980;^[2] runner-up:1984^[3]