{
  "id": 15815045,
  "title": "Ex-Eagles stars rally behind Westerhof amid cancer battle",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/ex-eagles-stars-rally-behind-westerhof-amid-cancer-battle",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-20T23:10:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/ex-eagles-stars-rally-behind-westerhof-amid-cancer-battle/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Nigerian national football team players have rallied behind coach Clemens Westerhof as he battles colon cancer in the Netherlands, The PUNCH reports. Westerhof, 86, is currently in critical condition at Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem, his hometown. His wife, Lilian, shared that he was admitted to the hospital last Wednesday, adding that the diagnosis of cancer has added to the family's suffering. Westerhof, who had been battling Alzheimer’s disease prior to this, has received a deluge of messages of support from his former players. Former teammates Emmanuel Amuneke, Mutiu Adepoju and Abiodun Obafemi all expressed their condolences and wished the coach a speedy recovery. They praised Westerhof's contributions to Nigerian football, emphasizing his role in bringing the best players together and laying the foundation for the team's success during his tenure from 1989 to 1994.",
  "summary": "Former Super Eagles players have sent messages of support to their ex-coach, Clemens Westerhof, as the 86-year-old battles colon cancer in the Netherlands. Read More: https://punchng.com/ex-eagles-stars-rally-behind-westerhof-amid-cancer-battle/",
  "key_points": [
    "Former Nigerian football players support Westerhof",
    "Clemens Westerhof in critical condition at Rijnstate Hospital",
    "Former teammates express condolences and recovery wishes"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}