Former Nigeria national team coach, Clemens Westerhof, marked his 86th birthday yesterday in the Netherlands, celebrating the milestone surrounded by family and close friends.
The Dutch-Nigerian coach was joined at his country home in Holland by his wife Lilian, two daughters, and longtime friend Fofana. He also connected virtually with friends in Nigeria, including Vanguard Newspapers Weekend Editor Onochie Anibeze, during a video call to celebrate the occasion.
During the conversation, Westerhof’s wife asked him to make a birthday wish. The former Super Eagles coach, who famously led Nigeria to its first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification, responded simply: “I am 86 today, I wish to be 100.”
Westerhof remains one of the most successful coaches in Nigerian football history. He guided the national team to a runners-up finish at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria and later led them to victory at the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, alongside qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Under his leadership, the Super Eagles achieved their highest-ever FIFA ranking at the time, reaching fifth in the world — a record that still stands as the best by any African national team.
