http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/news/newsid=620893.html#nigeria+mourns+coach+yemi+tella Nigeria mourns coach Yemi Tella(FIFA.com) Monday 22 October 2007
Barely six weeks ago, Nigeria was welcoming home its victorious Golden Eaglets and celebrating their triumph at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007. Today, joy has turned to sadness for Nigeria and for the whole family of world football at the news that Yemi Tella, coach of the young world champions, lost his battle with lung cancer on Saturday 20 October.
Tella initially went into hospital in Korea last June after the Eight Nations Tournament, but he responded to treatment and was able to return to work, guiding his team to second place at the event. Two months later he was as vibrant and enthusiastic as ever, driving his youngsters on to the world title in Seoul. Players and coach alike were given a hero's welcome on their return home and were decorated by the President in recognition of what was their third world championship in the category.
It was not long, however, before Tella's health took a dramatic turn for the worse and he was readmitted to hospital in Lagos a few weeks ago. Despite further intensive treatment, Tella passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 56.
Theophilus Adeyemi Tella was a trainer at the National Institute of Sport and only took over the reins of the Nigerian youth team a few months before the tournament in Korea. His experience lay more in training other coaches rather than players, but he soon proved that he was the right man for the job, leading the team to the African title before going one better and winning the FIFA World Cup a few months later. He is the third Nigerian coach to win the ultimate prize in this age group, following in the footsteps of Sebastian Broderick and Fanny Amun, for which he received the title of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic from Nigerian President Umar Yar'Adua.
