Beyond his 1985 World Cup triumph, Broderick-Imasuen's legacy extended far and wide

Coach Sebastian Broderick-Imasuen, the man who led the Golden Eaglets to their historic victory at the 1985 U-16 World Cup in China, is dead. He was aged 85.

Broderick-Imasuen, affectionately referred to as Nigeria's first World Cup-winning coach, passed away early Wednesday morning after battling illness for some time.

The news was confirmed via WhatsApp by Harrison Jalla, the chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Task Force.

He wrote: "Veteran Coach Sebastian Brodericks Imaseun, who won Nigeria's first World Cup at the under-17 level, is no more. The coach, who has been bedridden for a long time, died in the early hours of this morning, according to family sources."

Chuka Imasuen, the son of the late coach, had last year made a passionate appeal for support when he revealed his father had a stroke and diabetes, which the family had spent millions on.

Exploits

Beyond his World Cup triumph, Broderick-Imasuen's legacy extends far and wide.

He represented Nigeria as a player at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and famously scored a winning free-kick in the 1972 Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance.

His coaching career saw him lead the Golden Eaglets to two further World Cup appearances, reaching the final in 1987 before falling to the Soviet Union on penalties.

He also served as an assistant coach to Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles' golden era.

The octogenarian also handled Udoji United, Bendel Insurance, and El Kanemi Warriors, among other clubs, during his active coaching days.