Nigeria football legend and 1980 AFCON winner Henry Nwosu has died at the age of 62, prompting tributes from the Nigeria Football Federation and the wider football community.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the death of former Henry Nwosu, a member of Nigeria’s historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team.
The former midfielder reportedly died early Saturday morning at a hospital in Lagos at the age of 62.
Nwosu was widely regarded as one of the finest left-sided midfielders of his generation.
He was the youngest member of the Green Eagles squad that won the 1980 AFCON title at just 17 years old.
He also represented Nigeria in the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations and the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Reacting to the news, Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary of the NFF, described the death as a painful loss to Nigerian football.
“This is another very sad news while we are still mourning Adegboye Onigbinde,” Sanusi said, referring to the recent passing of the former national team coach and ex-NFF Technical Director.
“Nigeria football will never forget Henry Nwosu’s immense contributions as a player and coach,” he added.
Nwosu scored one of Nigeria’s memorable goals during a 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) match against Guinea on April 25, 1981.
His late strike secured Nigeria’s progression to the final qualifying round against Algeria.
He also played key roles in Nigeria’s runs to the AFCON finals in 1984 and 1988, where the team finished runners-up to Cameroon.
During the 1988 final in Casablanca, a first-half header by Nwosu was controversially ruled out by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr, a decision many believed denied Nigeria a legitimate goal.
With Nwosu’s death, nine members of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON-winning squad have now passed away.
They include Best Ogedegbe, Moses Effiong, Tunde Bamidele, Okey Isima, Christian Chukwu, Mudashiru Lawal, Aloysius Atuegbu, and Martins Eyo.
At club level, Nwosu played for New Nigerian Bank FC of Benin City and ACB FC of Lagos.
He also had a stint in Côte d’Ivoire, where he gained recognition for his creativity, dribbling skills and vision on the field.
After retiring from active football, Nwosu moved into coaching and worked with several domestic clubs, contributing to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
