Former Super Falcons and Golden Eaglets Coach Godwin Izilein is dead. He died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) earlier today February 7 at the age of 81. Aside from the national teams other teams handled by the late Izilein in the course of his coaching career include New Nigerian Bank, Sharks Fc ,Dolphins and Bendel Insurance respectively.
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Izilien who took to sports Consultancy after his coaching career,had his early education at Annunciation Catholic College Irrua, Esan Centre LGA, Edo State,Nigeria. He subsequently studied at sports school, Sportschule Hennef and DHfK Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur all in Germany.
He is regarded as one of the country’s best indigenous coaches. He guided the Falcons to their sixth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations glory in South Africa in 2004 in controversial circumstances.
After their continental triumph in South Africa, protesting Falcons players insisted on getting their camp allowances and winning bonuses in Johannesburg before the trip back home, but angry federation officials believed the girls were instigated by Izilein to down tools.
The then Ibrahim Galadima-led Nigeria Football Association board refused to pay Izilein his entitlements $12,000 after the protest, with successive boards also reneging on payment 20 years after, until his demise.
During the last FIFA women world cup held in Australia and New Zealand Izilein who remained passionate about women football and general sports development in general to the end, predicted that the Super Falcons under Randy Waldrum will go beyond the quarterfinals. He made the prediction in an interview with Voice of Nigeria in Calabar. He urged the players to use the championship to write their names in gold.
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“You can see that there is need to improve on our performance. We have the materials; the girls are strong and experienced. We can achieve it,” Izilein added.
Although the prediction did not come true as the team crashed out in the round of 16 after losing to England on penalties the team nonetheless received a pat on the back for putting up a good fight.