The Nigeria
Football Federation says it is ‘deeply saddened’ by the death on Saturday of
another member of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning Green Eagles squad,
Charles Bassey. He was 71.
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, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwuemeka
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, Dr 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 Atugbu and
Mudashiru Lawal and forward Martins Eyo.
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