A member of Nigeria’s historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, Henry Nwosu, has died at the age of 62.
The former Super Eagles midfielder passed away in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after spending several days in intensive care.
Former Nigerian international Segun Odegbami confirmed the development in an emotional post on Facebook, revealing that Nwosu died around 4:00 a.m. after battling for his life in hospital for five days.
Odegbami recalled that Nwosu was the youngest member of Nigeria’s victorious squad at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, where the country secured its first continental football title.
Born on June 14, 1963, in Imo State, Nwosu emerged in the 1980s as one of Nigeria’s most gifted midfielders, admired for his creativity, dribbling ability and tactical awareness.
During his international career, he earned about 60 caps for Nigeria between 1980 and 1991, scoring eight goals. He featured in several editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, including 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1988, with Nigeria finishing runners-up in the 1984 and 1988 tournaments.
Nwosu also represented the country at the 1980 Summer Olympics, where he scored Nigeria’s only goal of the competition.
At club level, he played for teams including New Nigeria Bank FC and ACB Lagos FC, and also had stints abroad with ASEC Mimosas and Racing FC Bafoussam.
After retiring from professional football in the early 1990s, Nwosu moved into coaching and youth development. He later served as an assistant coach with Nigeria’s national teams, including the side that won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In recent years, he had been battling health challenges, including a stroke that required ongoing medical attention.
His death comes just days after the passing of former Nigerian football coach Adegboye Onigbinde.