Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is mourning the death of Sebastien Brodericks-Imasuen, one of the foremost coaches of a number of league clubs in the past.
Brodericks-Imasuen died at the age of 85 years in a private hospital in Benin, Edo State on Tuesday.
He made global headlines after leading the Nigeria U-16 team to win the maiden FIFA Cadet Championship in China in 1985.
Reacting to the reports of his passing, the NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye said the country has lost an icon of youth and club coaching.
“Sebastien Brodericks-Imasuen was a coach who made youth football popular in Nigeria and at some point in his career, he was one of those that heightened interest in the professional football league with a running rivalry with some other top club coaches like Willy Bazuaye, James Peters, Charles Bassey to mention a few.
“By his death, our country has lost an icon in the coaching echelon”, declared the NPFL Chairman.
Elegbeleye directed that as a mark of honour to the departed Coach, players and officials of the NPFL would wear black armbands while a minute’s silence would be observed before kickoff on Matchday 17 of the season this weekend.
Apart from his successes at international level, Sabara, as he was fondly called, also coached El-Kanemi Warriors, Udoji United and Bendel Insurance.
On his watch, Nigeria U16 squad won the inaugural FIFA Cadet World Cup in China in 1985, defeating West Germany 2-0 in the final at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.
Two years later in Canada, he led the team to runner-up position after a penalty shootout defeat to the former Soviet Union, and two years later, in Scotland, his team lost to eventual winners Saudi Arabia on penalties in the quarter-finals.
