Omotayo Adigun
The Nigerian football community has been struck yet again by a profound tragedy with the passing of Charles Bassey, a member of the historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning Green Eagles squad.
Bassey died on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the age of 71, mere hours after the nation received the sad news of the death of the squad’s legendary captain, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
Bassey died in his hometown of Eket, Akwa Ibom State, following a prolonged illness. His death compounded the grief felt across the nation following the announcement earlier the same day of Chukwu’s passing in Enugu.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expressed deep sorrow over the loss of both icons.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi stated, “This has been a day of double tragedy, and the NFF and the entire Nigeria football fraternity are deeply saddened by the turn of events. We lost ‘Chairman’ Chukwu earlier in the day; now, we have to mourn Charles Bassey. May God Almighty grant their souls eternal rest.”
Charles Bassey was an integral part of the 22-man Green Eagles team that secured Nigeria’s first-ever AFCON title on home soil, defeating Algeria 3-0 in the final at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, on March 22, 1980.
After his playing career, Bassey transitioned into coaching, managing several prominent domestic clubs over the years, including Calabar Rovers, Mobil Pegasus (based in his hometown), BCC Lions of Gboko, Flash Flamingoes of Benin, Akwa United, and Wikki Tourists of Bauchi.
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The passing of Christian Chukwu and Charles Bassey brings the number of deceased members from that legendary 1980 AFCON-winning squad to nine.
The loss of two key figures from that golden generation on the same day marks a particularly sombre moment for Nigerian football history.