Former Golden Eaglets and assistant coach of the Dream team One, Coach Willy Bazuaye, 80 years old is dead.
According to family sources, the sad occurrence happened on Monday at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City.
His son Baldwin Bazuaye who had a stint with the national team broke the news of the death of the Olympic Gold winning coach from Benin City.
Bazuaye ‘Willy 80 years’ died on Monday at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City, Edo State said the octogenarian had showed signs of improvements from the bout of illness but succumb Today, (Monday)
” It happened in the early hours this morning, He had been responding to treatment but suddenly his health deteriorated again.
” I’m trying to get the paper works done and make sure my mum copes well with the loss.”
The late Bazuaye was assistant to Dutch-man Bonfrere Jo as handlers of Nigeria’s Dream Team, the first African team to win gold in the Olympic Games Men’s Football event in 1996.
It unclear if paucity of funds played any role in Bazuaye’s death as in the course of the past week, there was an appeal on social media for financial help from the son of deceased who claim his father was been rejected at the hospital for cash reasons.
Until his death, Bazuaye has always learnt his voice to football issues and his last major public appearance was on the celebrity segment of the ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ television show two years ago.
Aside wining the cadet World Cup in China with the Golden Eaglets, Bazuaye also played a key role in the historic feat recorded by Nigeria U23 team who stunned the world at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics to become the first African team to win the gold medal at the football event of the Olympics.
Reacting to the demise of the Bazuaye, former Green Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde was dumb found saying, “ I need time to get myself together.”
Former Eagles coach Christian Chukwu lamented the death of Bazuaye, “It’s sad indeed, not that we’ll not all die, but Willy should have stayed a little, he was a man with great experience, may his soul rest in peace. “
Another top coach Ufere Nwankwo said “it’s great loss, though he has been sick for some time, but his demise is a great loss to the coaching world.”
Edo state FA chairman, Frank Ilaboya said the 80 years old coach has paid his dues in Nigerian football, describing his demises as a great lose for the country. He prayed God to give his family the fortitude to bear the great loss.
