Sebastine Brodericks-Imasuen, the coach who guided the Golden Eaglets to victory in the inaugural U-17 World Cup in 1985, has passed away
Reports state that the late Nigerian coach had been on life support at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for more than a year. Brodericks-Imasuen, 85, was diagnosed with Ischemic stroke in December 2022 and had been undergoing treatment before he passed away.
Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot obstructs or narrows an artery leading to the brain. The clot often forms in arteries damaged by the accumulation of plaques (atherosclerosis).
Bamidele Oguntuashe, one of the players trained by Brodericks-Imasuen at the 1989 U17 World Cup in Scotland, initially shared the news, and later, confirmation came from Harrison Jalla, the Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria Task Force, through a WhatsApp post.
Jalla quoted family sources for the death of the iconic coach who had been bed-ridden for some months now.
He was said to have battled with stroke and diabetes.
The deceased coach was a former football player who represented Nigeria at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968 and gained fame by scoring from a free kick to secure the Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance in 1972.
In his coaching role, he led a three-man crew, alongside Bala Shamaki and Christian Chukwu, when the Nigerian team created a sensation in China in 1985.
In 1987, he guided the team to the final in Canada but faced defeat in a penalty shootout against the then-Soviet Union.
In another attempt in the competition, his team suffered a quarter-final loss to Saudi Arabia via a penalty kick.
He also served as an assistant to Clemens Westerhof in the Super Eagles.
His football journey commenced in 1956 when, as a student, he played for the Onitsha team in the Challenge Cup.
In 1962, he joined the then ECN and was a key part of the Challenge Cup-winning team in 1965.
Though invited to the national team in 1962, he established himself as a regular player in the lead-up to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.
His prowess in delivering curved shots, particularly from free-kick situations, became well-known.
Fondly known as ‘Sabara,’ he achieved a significant milestone as a club player when he scored the decisive goal in the 3-2 victory for Bendel Insurance in the replay of the 1972 Challenge Cup against Mighty Jets of Jos at the Liberty Stadium – marking the first time the national cup final was held outside Lagos.
Transitioning into coaching, he guided the Midwest junior side to secure a gold medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1973.