Exit of Green Eagles legends, Christian Chukwu, Charles Bassey: A painful loss as Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Agu-Ejidike condoles Nigerians, family, Rangers International FC, NFF

The demise of the former Green Eagles Captain and winners of the first African Cup of Nations, Chairman Christian Chukwu, MON as well as member of the 1980 Green Eagles, Charles Bassey has been described the Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu-Ejidike JP as a great loss and a painful exit of a football legend whose footprints in the field of round leather game cannot be erased.

The Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike who joined millions of Nigerians in mourning the death of former national team’s the Green Eagles and Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, Christian Chukwu in his comments said that the passing away of the former Super Eagles coach to the glory as very sad and painful.

Ejidike made this known on Saturday, during an interaction with a group of Sports journalists in Lagos, following the announcement of the death of the Chairman as fondly called during his playing days due to his commanding presence at heart of the teams’ defence.

The late Chukuwu’s death which was announced by his bosom friend and team mate at the national team, Chief (Dr.) Segun Odegbami MON, disclosed that the Enugu-born defence stalwart reportedly died in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 74 years.

The Sports philanthropist adored Late Christian Chukwu for his great feats and accomplishment which among many, in his career, and in the anal of Nigerian football history, captained the Green Eagles, as it were, to the country’s first ever African Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph in 1980, which Nigeria hosted as well as Rangers International Football Club of Enugu when they dominated the domestic scene, and also registered themselves as a force on the continent of Africa in club football. He equally led the Rangers FC team that won the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1977.

The Anambra-born Sports philanthropist, Ejidike, added that the exit of the legends has created a vacuum more importantly when the guidance and counsel of such an experienced gaffer is highly desirable.

The Patron of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC} also condoled with members of his immediate and extended family, the entire Enugu Rangers family, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as well as his colleagues who together, they did the country proud during the hey days of their footballing careers.

He prayed that the Almighty God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, while also praying for a repose of the soul of the deceased.

Ejidike who is also a former President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), however, lamented the absence of an institutionalised welfare package for athletes who have spent the productive part of their youthful lives, putting the country on the global maps in their respective fields, so that when they retire, with no pension, issues like access medical care for them and members of their immediate families should not be subjected to charity where they would have to rely on any public-spirited individual in the country to come through for them. The Nnewi-born International business mogul therefore calls on the respective sporting federation in the country in collaboration with National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigerian Olympics Committee (NOC) as well as other critical stakeholders in the sporting community to establish something like a Sports Trust Fund, that would cater for the health needs of retired athletes who have at one time or the other, represent the country an any level.

It would be recalled that, in 2019, Chukwu suffered prostate cancer, a development that led the family to open a GoFundMe appeal to solicit funds for his medical treatment. It took the intervention of Lagos-born oil and gas mogul, Femi Otedola, who paid $50,000 for the Chairman’s treatment in the UK.

The Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike, however, called on the need to immortalize late Chairman, Christian Chukwu by sports authorities and the Federal Government of Nigeria to keep his memories in the minds of the coming generations.