Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the death of former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu, who passed away at the age of 62.
His passing was confirmed on Saturday morning, March 14, by his former teammate and fellow Africa Cup of Nations 1980 winner Segun Odegbami.
According to Odegbami, the former midfielder died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after spending several days in intensive care.
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 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,”
Nwosu was widely known by the nickname “Youngest Millionaire,” a title he earned after becoming the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that secured the country’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 1980.
Born on June 14, 1963, in Imo State, Nwosu rose to prominence as one of Nigeria’s most talented midfielders during the golden era of Nigerian football in the 1980s. Renowned for his creativity, dribbling skills, and strong tactical awareness, he quickly became an important figure for the national team.
During his international career, he made around 60 appearances for Nigeria between 1980 and 1991, scoring eight goals. He also participated in several major tournaments, including the 1980, 1982, 1984, and 1988 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. While Nigeria lifted the trophy in 1980, the team finished as runners-up in the 1984 and 1988 tournaments.
Nwosu also represented Nigeria at the 1980 Summer Olympics, where he scored the country’s only goal during the competition.
At the club level, the midfielder had a notable career, featuring for teams such as New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and ACB Lagos.