Renowned Nigerian football coach, Sebastine Brodericks-Imasuen, who led the Golden Eaglets to secure the nation’s first U-17 World Cup victory in 1985, has reportedly passed away at the age of 85.
The former Nigerian coach had been under respiratory assistance for over a year at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital before his demise, he had been undergoing treatment for an ischemic stroke diagnosed in December 2022.
Fondly nicknamed the first coach to bring a World Cup victory to Nigeria, Broderick-Imasuen breathed his last early Wednesday morning.
The president of the Nigeria Professional Footballers Association (PFAN) task force, Harrison Jalla, confirmed his passing.
Chuka Imasuen, the late coach’s son, had issued a heartfelt appeal for support last year when he revealed his father’s struggles with stroke and diabetes, expenses that ran into millions for the family.
Broderick-Imasuen represented Nigeria as a player in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, scoring a winning free-kick during the 1972 Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance.
In his coaching career, he guided the Golden Eaglets to two more World Cup appearances, reaching the final in 1987 before narrowly losing to the Soviet Union in a penalty shootout. He also served as an assistant coach to Clemens Westerhof during the golden era of the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles.