By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The death of former Super Eagles Assistant Coach and ex-NEPA FC of Lagos handler, Joseph Bassey Eric popularly known as Joe Erico has thrown Female Football Interest Group (FFIG) and the entire women’s football fraternity into mourning.
This much was confirmed Friday, by the Secretary General of FFIG, Comrade Dapo Sotuminu who said the death of the veteran football coach has denied both FFIG and women’s football fraternity the great advice on how to move the game forward in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.
According to the scribe of the foremost women’s football pressure group that worked tirelessly with club owners to force the Nigerian government to recognize women’s football in the late 1980s disclosed that late Coach Erico was one of the few personalities in Nigeria that supported the activities of FFIG in cash and kind.
“Coach Joe Erico identified with FFIG members and by extension supported the development and promotion of women’s football in Nigeria. He was a regular face during FFIG Annual All Star Football Tournaments in Lagos. He encouraged our leadership and was personal friend of our top members like Harry Awurumibe, my humble self and late Henrietta Ukaigwe, ex-President of FFIG. May gentle soul rest in peace”, Sotiminu concluded.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lamented over the death of Erico who died at 71.
“It is another sad day for Nigerian Football. Erico was among the very best of Nigeria’s international goalkeepers and also served the country with fervour and diligence as Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles between 2001 and 2002. He will be sorely missed. We pray that Almighty God grant him eternal rest and also grant his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the big loss,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja on Thursday.
Family sources said the flamboyant trainer of trainers and respected nurturer of talents complained of body pain and was treated for malaria, only to be found dead in his bed at dawn on Thursday.
Born Joseph Bassey Eric in the Odukpani local government area in what is today known as Cross River State, Erico belonged to the cast of the very best goalkeepers in the history of Nigeria’s senior team, and served at the same period as the revered Emmanuel Okala and Eyo Essien.
He made his debut for then Green Eagles in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Zambia in Lagos in July 1973 (which Nigeria won 3-2), and then kept goal in all of Nigeria’s six matches at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia, where the Eagles finished third – the first time Nigeria would win a medal at the AFCON. Erico was also in goal in all of Nigeria’s pre-tournament friendlies against Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania just before the team flew to Ethiopia.
Nicknamed ‘Jogo Bonito’(Beautiful Game) for his preference for fluency and expression in the rhythm of play of his teams as a coach, Erico was part of the triumvirate (alongside late Amodu Shaibu and late Stephen Keshi) who were shooed in to do a rescue job for Nigeria as the ship to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals tottered badly under Dutchman Johannes Bonfrere. With three matches left in the campaign and a must-win mandate for all, the trio got the job done and qualified Nigeria for Korea/Japan.
They also led the team to a bronze-medal finish at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Mali early 2002.
With his death on Thursday morning, it means all members of that historic triumvirate have now passed on.
