Former Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi dies at 54

Stephen Keshi who led Nigeria to victory at the 2013 Nation Cup held in South Africa is dead.
Keshi, 54 died at the early hours of Wednesday after he was reported to have slumped.

The big Boss as he was fondly called ( for his leadership quality) also lost his wife Kate of 35 years of marriage last year after a prolonged battle with cancer.

He is survived by four children and his mother also. Keshi is the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as a coach. He also achieved a rare feat in 2013 by becoming only the second person to win the trophy both as a player and a coach.The only other person to have achieved the feat is Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary.

Keshi on duty for Nigeria

For his education Keshi, attended St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos and started playing football at a very young age with ACB Football Club, and later played for New Nigeria Bank, Stade d’Abidjan and Africa Sports in Ivory Coast, Lokeren and Anderlecht in Belgium and RC Strasbourg of France, and a host of other clubs.

He represented Nigeria from 1982, at age 20, till 1994, most of the time captaining the Super Eagles and scoring vital goals from his position as a central defender.

Keshi with his Late Wife

He also coached Togo,qualifying them for the 2006 World and Nigeria for the 2014 world cup. He also had stints with Mali.

With his dead it brings the number of the all-conquering 1994 team that are dead to five, (Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha, Rashidi Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare).

President Jonathan with the Afcon trophy pose with Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi

Meanwhile, the family has released a statement announcing his death. The statement signed by Emmanuel Ado was titled:

“Stephen Keshi CON has gone to be with his wife”. “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,”

“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 on the 9th December 2015.

Keshi as captain celebrates the AFCON victory with Peter Rufai and Sunday Oliseh in 1994

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“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.