Former Nigeria Coach, Stephen Keshi Dies Aged 54

According to a family spokesperson Emmanuel Ado, the Big Boss, as he was fondly called died of cardiac arrest in the early hours of Wednesday.

Keshi lost Kate, his wife of 35 years, to cancer last December.

“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. Ado wrote.

“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.

“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,” concluded the statement.

He made his debut for the Super Eagles 1981 at age 20 before retiring in 1994 after picking up 64 caps and nine goals as he captained Nigeria to win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations as well as their first appearance at the World Cup in the USA.

Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, surprisingly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo’s unlikely qualification.

He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. Keshi was thereafter sacked in January 2010, after Mali’s early exit in the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011, he led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which they went on to win, defeating Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final

On 18 November 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.

Keshi was also the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations and second African to win the trophy both as a player and a coach.

The Bauchi State born sportsman is survived by four children and a mother.