THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed sadness over the death of former international Henry Nwosu, who passed away at the age of 62 today.
“Deep grief and sorrow gripped Nigeria football once more after news broke on Saturday morning of the demise of 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner and a true legend of the game, Henry Nwosu, who died in a Lagos hospital four hours into the day,” the NFF said in a statement.
“One of the best left-sided midfielders globally to have played the game, Nwosu was the youngest member of the 1980 AFCON-winning Green Eagles (at 17), and then played in the Final matches of the 1984 and 1988 AFCON.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said Nwosu’s death, while a grim reminder of how frail we all are, is a deep stab only few days after the departure of former NFF Technical Director and two-time head coach of the Green Eagles/Super Eagles, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.
“This is another very sad news, even as we are still mourning the demise of Chief Onigbinde,” Sanusi said.
“Nigeria football can never forget the enormous contributions of Henry Nwosu both as a player and a coach.
“We pray that God will grant him eternal rest, and also grant the family he has left behind, as well as friends and relations the fortitude to bear the loss.”
On April 25, 1981, at the age of 18, Henry Nwosu scored one of Nigeria’s most spectacular goals ever when he rifled home from the edge of the box with few minutes to the end of a difficult FIFA World Cup qualifying match against the Syli Stars of Guinea.
The goal saw Nigeria qualify for the final round of the series, against Algeria.
Apart from being a key member of the team that won Nigeria’s first AFCON trophy on home soil in 1980, Nwosu helped the Eagles reach the 1984 and 1988 finals – both against Cameroon.
He was brilliant in both, with Cameroon eventually winning the former 3-1 in Abidjan and then pipping the Eagles controversially 1-0 in Casablanca four years later, with Nwosu’s first-half header controversially ruled out by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr.
The death of the midfield great brings to nine the number of the 1980 AFCON winners to have passed on, with goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Tunde Bamidele, Okey Isima and ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, midfielders Mudashiru Lawal and Aloysius Atuegbu, and forward Martins Eyo having died earlier.
