BREAKING: Nigeria Mourns as 1980 AFCON Hero, Henry Nwosu Dies at 62

Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the death of former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu, who passed away at the age of 62.

The sad news was announced on Saturday by his former national teammate, Segun Odegbami, in a post on his social media page.

According to Odegbami, Nwosu died in the early hours of Saturday after battling for his life for several days at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been admitted to the intensive care unit since Wednesday.

“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at 4:00 a.m. this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos,” Odegbami wrote.

“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu, MON. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in Heaven,” he added.

Nwosu was a key member of Nigeria’s historic squad that won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, the country’s first continental title. The tournament was hosted by Nigeria in Lagos, where the national team, then known as the Nigeria national football team (popularly called the Green Eagles), triumphed before a jubilant home crowd.

Widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, Nwosu was the youngest player in the 1980 squad and played a crucial role in the team’s success. His skill, vision and creativity on the field earned him admiration from fans and teammates alike.

His passing has sparked tributes from across the country, as the nation remembers one of the heroes of its first continental triumph.