Former Nigerian football team Captain and coach,
Stephen Keshi, is dead.
His family announced that he died of cardiac
arrest early hours of today, Wednesday June 8.
Stephen OkechukwuKeshi CON was 54 year old at the
time of his death. This is contained in a statement by
the family, signed by Emmanuel Ado.
“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 said in the
statement.
He continued “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 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 in Benin said.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
Keshi, the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa
Cup of Nations, achieved that feat in 2013 by becoming
the only second person to win the trophy both as a
player and a coach.
The other person to have achieved the feat is Egypt’s
Mahmoud El-Gohary.
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.
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.
He also coached Togo and Nigeria at the World Cup, as
well as Mali.
Keshi, nicknamed the “Big Boss” for his leadership
skills, is the fifth member of the all-conquering 1994
team to die, following Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha,
Rashidi Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare.
Though deeply mourning the shock exit, Mr. Emmanuel
Ado said the family remained grateful to God for the life
spent by the Big Boss.
Stephen Keshi, is dead.
His family announced that he died of cardiac
arrest early hours of today, Wednesday June 8.
Stephen OkechukwuKeshi CON was 54 year old at the
time of his death. This is contained in a statement by
the family, signed by Emmanuel Ado.
“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 said in the
statement.
He continued “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 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 in Benin said.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
Keshi, the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa
Cup of Nations, achieved that feat in 2013 by becoming
the only second person to win the trophy both as a
player and a coach.
The other person to have achieved the feat is Egypt’s
Mahmoud El-Gohary.
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.
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.
He also coached Togo and Nigeria at the World Cup, as
well as Mali.
Keshi, nicknamed the “Big Boss” for his leadership
skills, is the fifth member of the all-conquering 1994
team to die, following Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha,
Rashidi Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare.
Though deeply mourning the shock exit, Mr. Emmanuel
Ado said the family remained grateful to God for the life
spent by the Big Boss.
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