Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) has blamed the Federal Government’s neglect of sports heroes for the demise of the first coach to win the U-17 World Cup for the country, Sebastine Broderick.

Broderick, who won the inaugural FIFA U-16 World Cup with the Golden Eaglets in China in 1985, died yesterday morning in Benin City, Edo State, at the age of 85 years.

The late Brodrick served the country as a player and coach, competing at the 1968 Olympic Games, before leading the nation’s youth team to conquer the world at China ’85.

Chairman of PFAN’s Task Force, Harrison Jalla, told The Guardian, yesterday, that the Federal Government did not give Broderick the treatment he deserved as a national hero while he was alive.

“This was the saddest part of coach Sebastine Broderick because the man died in penury,” Jalla stated. “No help came to him from both the Federal Government and Edo State government, and that was very sad, considering the role he played in our football. The lackadaisical attitude of our government towards sports heroes ‘killed’ him.

“Broderick was down in pain for more than one year, and a responsible government would have taken over his treatment. What is wrong in flying him abroad for good medical treatment or taking him to a good hospital here in Nigeria? Nothing of such.

“Last year, former Sports Minister, Sunday Dare was in Benin City and gave Broderick N500,000. I am sure that was his personal donation, and not from the Federal Government.

Even, when he won the FIFA U-16 World Cup in 1985, the only thing Broderick got from the Federal Government was Muhammadu Buhari naming a street after him. Our football administrators did not help matters. They were busy looting our football money for themselves, without caring about the heroes.

“We, PFAN, tried our best by rallying around Broderick before his death. We detailed Edema Fuludu, and he was always in constant touch with him and his family. It was Fuludu that broke the sad news of his death on Wednesday morning. Our country should learn to take care of our sport’s heroes while they are alive,” Jalla stated.

Also speaking with The Guardian, yesterday, former Super Eagles goalkeeper, David Aigbovo, described the late Coach Broderick as one of the greatest football managers the country has ever produced.

“I got the news of his death a few minutes ago, and it was sad,” Aigbovo stated. “Coach Broderick discovered me from the Academicals, when Bendel State was preparing to host the 1982 National Sports Festival in Benin City. He later trained me at Rubber Board FC, and later Flash Flamingos in Benin City. We have lost a ‘General’ in our football circle,” Aigbovo stated.

The Chairman of Edo Sports Commission, ex-athlete, Yusuf Alli, also spoke yesterday, describing Broderick’s death as sad. “I am in Lagos at the moment, but I have sent some officials to his family house in Benin City,” Alli stated.

Eulogising the Broderick’s, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the entire Nigeria Football fraternity are sorely pained by his demise.

“He worked very hard at his craft and was tireless in his efforts to bring honour to the homeland through the various national teams he worked with. No one can ever forget how he led an unsung group of boys to China to win a first-ever FIFA World Cup for Nigeria and Africa,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said.

Brodericks-Imasuen was Head Coach of the Nigeria U-16 squad that 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 quarterfinals. Two years later, FIFA upgraded the competition to an U17 tournament.

The soft-spoken, easy-going tactician also assisted Dutchman Clemens Westerhof as Nigeria finished as runners-up at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria.

Nicknamed Sabara, Broderick-Imasuen featured for Bendel Insurance in his playing days, famously scoring the winning goal when Insurance edged feisty Mighty Jets in a replayed 1972 Challenge Cup Final in Ibadan, after both teams were deadlocked at 2-2 in the first match at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos, thanks to the heroics of late Sam Garba Okoye.

Apart from his successes at international level, Sabara also coached El-Kanemi Warriors, Udoji United FC and Bendel Insurance.

The late Broderick, who reportedly died after suffering from stroke and diabetes, was one of the players that represented Nigerian football team at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968. He famously scored from a free kick to win the then Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance in 1972.

Broderick began his football career in 1956 when as a student, he featured for the Onitsha team in the Challenge Cup.

In 1962, he joined the then ECN and was part of the Challenge Cup winning side of 1965. He was invited to the national team in 1962, but only became a regular in the build-up to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

He was noted for his curving shots, especially from free kick situations.

He later became a coach and handled the Midwest junior side to win gold medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1973.

In January last year, his son, Chuka Imasuen, raised an alarm saying that his father was suffering from stroke and diabetes, and that the family had spent millions of naira, before making it public to ask for support.

Chuka stated than that Broderick had partial stroke sometime last year, but it deteriorated to full stroke. He said that his father was also managing diabetes as well and couldn’t communicate properly.