Former Nigeria international Henry Nwosu has died at the age of 62 after battling illness.
The news of his passing was confirmed on Saturday by his former teammate Segun Odegbami. According to Odegbami, Nwosu died at about 4am at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been receiving treatment since Wednesday.
Odegbami announced the sad development in an emotional message, revealing that the former midfielder had been in intensive care for several days before he passed away.
“Henry Nwosu passes on!
“After 5 days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at 4:00 am this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos where he had been in Intensive Care since Wednesday.
“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.
“Segun Odegbami.”
Nwosu was widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders produced by Nigeria and played a key role during one of the most successful periods in the country’s football history. He was part of the Nigerian squad that won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, a historic triumph that remains one of the nation’s greatest football achievements.
Alongside teammates like Odegbami, Nwosu contributed significantly to Nigeria’s midfield strength during that era and went on to represent the country at several other editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, including the tournaments in Libya in 1982, Côte d’Ivoire in 1984 and Morocco in 1988.
During the 1984 AFCON tournament, Nwosu was part of the Nigerian squad coached by Adegboye Onigbinde that reached the final before finishing as runners up.
His passing comes just days after the Nigerian football community mourned the death of former Super Eagles head coach Adegboye Onigbinde, who died on March 9 at the age of 88.
At club level, Nwosu enjoyed a distinguished career playing for several sides within and outside Nigeria. He featured for New Nigeria Bank of Benin City and African Continental Bank of Lagos before moving abroad to continue his career.
The former midfielder also played for ASEC Mimosas in Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam in Cameroon, where he further established his reputation as a talented and influential player.
Nwosu’s contributions to Nigerian football, particularly during the golden era of the national team in the 1980s, have left a lasting legacy. His passing marks another sad moment for the country’s football family as tributes continue to pour in for the former Super Eagles star.
