By Desire Emmanuel
Former Green Eagles star, Henry Nwosu, is dead. He was aged 62. He would have been 63 in June.
His death was announced on Saturday morning by another legend, Segun Odegbami, on his social media platforms.
He wrote: “Henry Nwosu passes on. After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at 4:00 o’clock 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. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in Heaven.”
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of the Green Eagles 1980 squad that won the African Cup of Nations held in Nigeria, was widely celebrated for his role in Nigeria’s triumph at the tournament.
Henry Nwosu was born on June 14, 1963, in Surulere, Lagos.
He rose to fame as a midfielder, earning 60 caps and scoring eight goals for the Nigerian national team between 1980 and 1991.
Nwosu’s most notable achievement was being the youngest member of Nigeria’s victorious squad at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, where he lifted the trophy at just 16 years old.
He played for several clubs, including New Nigeria Bank FC, African Continental Bank FC, ASEC Mimosas, and Racing FC Bafoussam. Nwosu’s skills and vision on the pitch earned him the nickname “Youngest Millionaire.”
After retiring, Nwosu transitioned into coaching, working with various national teams and clubs, including the U-17 national team and Gateway United FC. He was awarded the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) for his contributions to Nigerian football.
