• NPFL, NOA Pay tributes
By Amaechi Agbo
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.
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 Nigeria senior men’s team, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.
“This is another very sad news, even as we are still mourning the demise of Chief Onigbinde. 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 member of the team that won Nigeria’s first AFCON trophy on home soil in 1980, Nwosu steered the Eagles to the Championship games of 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 in Casablanca four years later, with Nwosu’s fabulous first-half header strangely ruled a no-goal by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr.
The death of the midfield impresario brings to nine the number of the 1980 AFCON winners to have passed, 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 departed this world earlier.
On the home front, Nwosu was a marvel in the colours of New Nigerian Bank FC of Benin and ACB FC of Lagos, later playing in Cote d’Ivoire as he enjoyed his football and entertained endlessly with his neat dribbles, creativity, vision and panache.
After retiring from playing the game, Nwosu served his time as a coach with several domestic clubs.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador
Similarly, the Nigerian Olympians Association (NOA) has paid glowing tribute to former Super Eagles midfielder and Olympian, Henry Nwosu, describing his passing as the loss of a true patriot who served Nigeria with distinction on the global stage.
President of the Nigerian Olympians Association, Olumide Oyedeji, said the country had lost one of its finest sports ambassadors whose dedication and commitment to Nigeria remained exemplary.
“Henry Nwosu, who scored the only goal for Nigeria at the 1980 Olympics, was a detribalised Nigerian who gave his all for the country,” Oyedeji said.
The former basketball international and Chairman of the Nigeria Athletes Commission noted that Nwosu’s contributions to Nigerian sports would never be forgotten, adding that his legacy would remain part of the nation’s sporting heritage.
Oyedeji also used the moment to call on well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations and governments at all levels to pay greater attention to the welfare of athletes who dedicate their lives to bringing honour to the country.
He extended heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the late football icon, his former teammates, colleagues in the football community and the entire Nigerian football fraternity, praying that God grants them the strength to bear the painful loss.
The NOA president urged the sports community to remember the late legend not with despair but with gratitude for the unforgettable memories he created while wearing the nation’s colours.
