Charles Bassey, a former Green Eagles player, has passed away after a prolonged battle with ill health.
Gatekeepers News reports that Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) confirmed his demise in a statement on Sunday.
Bassey died in his native town of Eket, Akwa Ibom, on Saturday, few hours after the death of Christian Chukwu, former Eagles captain and coach.
They were both members of the Eagles side that won Nigeria’s first Africa Cup Nations (AFCON) in 1980.
In 2019, Bassey revealed he had suffered a
nerve root compression in his spinal cord following a car accident in 1986, and the damage had worsened, severely affecting his ability to walk.
Giving an update on his health in 2021, Bassey revealed that Femi Otedola Foundation funded his spinal cord surgery.
After retiring from playing football, Bassey transitioned into management and managed several notable clubs within Nigerian league, including Calabar Rovers, Wikki Tourist of Bauchi, BCC Lions of Gboko, Flash Flamingos, Mobil Pegasus of Eket, and Akwa United Football Club.
