Lagos, Nigeria — Former Nigeria international footballer Henry Nwosu, who played as a midfielder for Nigeria’s national team during one of the country’s most celebrated periods in African football, has died at the age of 62.
The passing of the former player was announced on Saturday, March 14, 2026, by his former teammate Segun Odegbami, a retired Nigerian footballer and member of the national team that won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s premier international football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
According to Odegbami, Nwosu died in the early hours of the morning after spending several days receiving treatment at a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and commercial centre.
“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,” Odegbami wrote.
Okay News reports that Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, a major public medical institution located in Ikeja, Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria, had been treating the former footballer in its intensive care unit before his death.
Henry Nwosu was born in Imo State, a state in southeastern Nigeria. He rose to national prominence as a talented midfielder with exceptional vision, creativity, and ball control. His performances helped establish him as one of the most admired players of his generation in Nigerian football.
Nwosu was especially remembered for being the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, which was hosted by Nigeria. The national team, then known as the Green Eagles, secured their first continental title during that tournament, marking a historic milestone in the country’s sporting history.
The victory in 1980 remains one of the defining achievements in Nigerian football and helped elevate the status of many players from that squad, including Nwosu, who became widely respected for his technical ability and intelligence in midfield.
After retiring from professional football, Nwosu continued to contribute to the development of the sport in Nigeria. He worked as a football coach and mentor, sharing his experience with younger players and supporting the growth of domestic football in the country.
His death has prompted tributes from former teammates, football officials, and fans who remember his role in shaping Nigeria’s football legacy.
Further details regarding funeral arrangements or official tributes from Nigeria’s football authorities had not been announced as of the time of this report.
