Wife Of Late Super Eagles Defender Cries For Help
By Amaechi Agbo
Wife of late Super Eagles defender, Herbert Anijekwu, Mrs Rita Anijekwu has cried out to the minister of youth and sports development, and the Nigeria Football Federation for help, Bestchoicesports.com.ng reports exclusively.
Late Herbert Anijekwu who played for the Green Eagles (Now Super Eagles) was a member of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations Silver-winning Eagles in Algiers, Algeria.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos, the widow, Mrs Rita lamented that since her late husband’s death in 2013, the family has been finding it difficult to survive.
Mrs Rita who said that late Anijekwu left behind four children, called on the minister of sports and the NFF President and other good spirited Nigerians to come to her aid.
Aloysius Agu – ACB Lagos.
Andrew Uwe – KSV Roesoder Belgium.
Late Abdul Aminu – El Kanemi Maiduguri.
Late Herbert is First from squatting players
Ademola Adeshina – Shooting Stars Ibadan.
Ben Iroha – Iwuanyanwu Owerri.
Uche Okechukwu – Iwuanyanwu Owerri.
Isaac Semitoje – Bendel Insurance Benin.
Late Herbert Anijekwu – Enugu Rangers.
Wasiu Ipaye – First Bank Lagos.
Late Thompson Oliha – Iwuanyanwu Owerri.
Tajudeen Oyekanmi – Ranchers Bees Kaduna.
Ayodele Ogunlana – Ranchers Bees Kaduna.
Moses Kpakpor – BCC Lions Gboko.
Emmanuel Okocha – Enugu Rangers.
Baldwin Bazuaye – Bendel Insurance Benin.
Late Rashidi Yekini – Africa Sports Abidjan.
Daniel Amokachi – Ranchers Bees Kaduna.
Friday Elaho – Brondby Denmark.
Coach : Clemens Westerhof.
“My husband was a footballer. He started his football career with Rangers FC of Enugu. He won Best Player for Rangers in 1988.
“Do to his commitment and playing style, he was spotted by the then Super Eagles coach, Clemens Westerhof, who invited him to the national team, the Green Eagles. He distinguished himself while wearing the national colour. However his name was not popular nationally like some of his teammates.
“His teammates were late Stephen Keshi, Benedict Iroha, Alloy Agu, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Uche Okechukwu, Emmanuel Okocha, Isaac Semitoje, Wasiu Ipaye, Late Thompson Oliha, Moses Kpakpor, among others.
“He represented Nigeria in the 1990 African Cup of Nations in Algiers, Algeria where he helped his fatherland win silver medal. He also played for Udoji United. My husband died in 2013 and was survived by his wife and 4 children,” she said.
The former Super Eagles central defender was killed in a fatal bus accident in Lagos. Late Herbert who was until his death, a transport manager at Young Shall Grow Transport Company after retirement from football, was killed instantly when the commercial bus he boarded somersaulted severally along the Badagry Expressway on September 20th, 2013
Popularly called Ally Bosah during his playing days, Herbert was said to have boarded the commercial bus at close of work that fateful day and gruesomely met his death just few minutes after.
He was a strong member of Coach Clemens Westerhof s Algeria 90 Nations Cup silver winning squad.
Anijekwu caught the eye of Westerhof while playing for Rangers in the late 1980s and was capped at the inaugural ECOWAS Cup held in Bauchi in 1990. He would go on to form a formidable defence line alongside Okechuku Uche at Algiers 90. He was in his late 40s at the time of his death.
Late Herbert Anijekwu hailed from Neni in Anambra State, South East, Nigeria.
