Westerhof diagnosed with colon cancer, critical

Former Super Eagles coach Clemens Westerhof has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is in critical condition at a hospital in Arnhem, his hometown in the Netherlands.

His wife, Lilian, disclosed this to Saturday Editor Onochie Anibeze on Friday night, saying the 86-year-old was receiving treatment at Rijnstate Hospital.

“The doctor just told us he has colon cancer and we are all devastated. He is in a critical condition and emotional, talking about our two daughters. He wants to live. We need help. We need prayers,” she said.

Lilian said Westerhof was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday, adding that the cancer diagnosis was a new development in his health challenges.

The Dutch tactician had been battling Alzheimer’s disease before the latest diagnosis.

She expressed concern about the care Westerhof was receiving at the Arnhem hospital and said she hoped to move him to a better-equipped facility in Amsterdam or Germany.

“They appear to have given up. I don’t understand,” she said.

Westerhof, who turned 86 last May, is widely credited with helping to transform Nigerian football during his tenure as Super Eagles coach.

He led Nigeria to qualify for its first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1994 and guided the team to victory at the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia the same year.

Under his leadership, Nigeria also secured silver at the 1990 AFCON and bronze in 1992. The Super Eagles rose to fifth in the FIFA world rankings during his tenure, a landmark achievement for Nigerian and African football.