Final farewell to Razack Omotoyossi: the “Bull of Pobè” now rests in Lagos
The world of Beninese football has lost one of its legends. Razack Omotoyossi, former star striker of the national team, was laid to rest on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
L’ancien attaquant béninois, Razack Omotoyossi@bwt
The player affectionately nicknamed the “Bull of Pobè” by fans passed away on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the age of 39, under tragic circumstances.
An icon of Beninese football, Omotoyossi will forever be remembered as the author of Benin’s first goal in the junior World Cup in 2005. In the senior team, he proudly wore the national colors, participating in two Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2008 in Ghana and CAN 2010 in Angola). With 21 goals in 47 appearances, he remains one of the top scorers in the history of the Squirrels of Benin.
But behind this career marked by feats, the striker’s end of life was marked by a series of trials: the recent loss of his sister, a devastating fire at his home in early July 2025, and unanswered pleas for help. All trials that preceded a tragic departure, lived in an indifference that deeply saddens his compatriots.
The Beninese Football Federation (FBF), in a statement, saluted the memory of the former international and offered its condolences to the grieving family, inviting those involved in football to “a pious thought in memory of the illustrious departed.” Several of his former teammates, including Michael Poté and Ouzérou, expressed their sadness and paid tribute to the man fans also referred to as “Omogoal”.
Razack Omotoyossi leaves behind the image of a combative player, generous on the field and adored by the crowds, but also the bitter lesson of a fate marked by trials and solitude.