One of Nigeria and Africa’s finest in football, Stephen Okechukwu
Keshi died in the early hours of today (Wednesday) in Benin City, Edo state, at
the age of 54.
“With thanksgiving to God, the Ogbuenyi Fredrick
Keshi Family of Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta
State, announces the death of Mr. Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi,” Mr.
Emmanuel Ado, a brother to the late coach said in a statement.
“Our son, brother, father, father-in-law,
brother-in-law, has gone to be with his wife of 35 years (Nkem), Mrs. Kate
Keshi, who passed on the 9th December, 2015. Since her death, Keshi has been in
mourning. He came back to Nigeria to be with her. He had planned to fly back
today Wednesday, before he suffered a cardiac arrest. He has found rest.”
“He was not ill at all, never showed any signs
of illness, but we suspect he never got over the death of his wife,” a friend
said.
Late Keshi had lost his wife of 35 years, Kate,
to Cancer last December.
Keshi is the only Nigerian coach to have won the
Africa Cup of Nations. He also became the second person in history to win the
competition as a player and as a coach after Mahmoud El-Gohary of Egypt when he
led the Super Eagles to win the tournament in 2013 in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
Former President
Goodluck Jonathan held a banquet in honour of Stephen Keshi (right) and the
Nigerian Team after they won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations
He rose to national prominence when debuted for
the Super Eagles in 1981 at age 20. The late Central Defender withdrew from the
national team in 1994. He had 64 caps.
As a player, Keshi was part of the Super Eagles
team that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and narrowly missed out on a World Cup
quarter-final place the same year.
As coach, he qualified an unlikely Togolese
national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany but was sacked and replaced
with German Otto Pfister, just before the tournament.
In 2013, Stephen Keshi set a record in African
football by being the first African coach to successfully qualify two African
nations (Nigeria and Togo) to the World Cup Finals. He also helped Nigeria
become the first country to achieve an African Cup of Nations trophy and World
Cup qualification, both in 2013.
He achieved his dream to manage a team at the
World Cup when he coached the Super Eagles side to the tournament in Brazil in
2014.
His contract was not renewed after the World Cup
but he later returned on a match-by-match deal following the team's failure to
reach the 2015 Nations Cup finals.
He was then sacked as caretaker coach but
reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan. He
was sacked for a final time last July.
Source:
Wikipedia
An unconfirmed source (online) said the late Keshi was an exceptional individual. “He used to
buy drinks for all Nigerians whenever he met us at night clubs in Belgium. He
was also in the habit of giving us complimentary tickets to watch football
matches at his club (Andelecht). Keshi was a polyglot who spoke Dutch, French,
Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and Ishan. May his generous soul find peace profound.”
Keshi, a product
of St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos, started his playing career at a very
young age at ACB Football Club, and later played for New Nigeria Bank, Stade
d’Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg, and a host of
other clubs.
Nicknamed
the “Big Boss” for his leadership skills, Late Keshi is the fifth member of the
1994 Super Eagles team to die, following Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha, Rashidi
Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare.
He is survived by
four children and his mother.
SOURCE:
BBC Sport
Premium
Times
Wikipedia
footballtop.com
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