The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Charles Bassey, a member of Nigeria’s legendary 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad. Bassey passed away on Saturday at the age of 71, in his hometown of Eket, Akwa Ibom State, after a prolonged illness.
His death comes as a double blow to Nigerian football, occurring just hours after the loss of the 1980 squad’s iconic captain, Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu, who died in Enugu.
Charles Bassey was part of the historic 22-man Green Eagles team that delivered Nigeria’s first-ever AFCON title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria on 22nd March 1980, at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
The NFF, in a statement, hailed Bassey’s contributions to Nigerian football and remembered him as a patriot who served the country with pride and honour. His passing marks the end of another chapter in the story of a golden generation that helped place Nigerian football on the continental map.
