1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning Green Eagles squad, Christian Chukwu, another member of the team, Charles Bassey, is dead.
According to a statement by the Nigeria Football Federation ,NFF, Bassey died on Saturday at the age of 71.
The nation’s football-ruling body said that Bassey died after protracted illness in his native town of Eket, Akwa Ibom State, hours after it was confirmed that the captain of that team, Chukwu, had passed on in Enugu.
“This has been a day of double tragedy, and the NFF and the entire Nigeria football fraternity are deeply saddened by the turn of events. We lost ‘Chairman’ Chukwu earlier in the day; now, we have to mourn Charles Bassey. May God Almighty grant their souls eternal rest”, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said.
Forward Charles Bassey was in the 22-man squad that became Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations champions, after a 3-0 defeat of Algeria’s Fennecs at the National Stadium, Surulere on Saturday, 22nd March 1980.
Afterwards, he coached various clubs within the country, including Calabar Rovers, home-town club Mobil Pegasus, BCC Lions of Gboko, Flash Flamingoes of Benin, Akwa United and Wikki Tourists of Bauchi.
His death brings to nine the number of persons in that squad that have departed, following the passing on of goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Christian Chukwu, Okechukwu Isima and Tunde Bamidele, midfielders Aloysius Atuegbu and Mudashiru Lawal and forward Martins Eyo.
