Breaking News: Former Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi Is Dead

 

The Nigerian airwaves and blogosphere was awash this morning with news of the death of the former Super Eagles Coach and one time defender of the Super Eagles, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.

Coach Keshi who was 54 years old died at the wee hours of today, Wednesday, in Benin.

Ben Olaiya, Media Officer of the Super Eagles confirmed the hero’s demise in a phone chat with newsmen this morning.

According to Ademola Olajire, an Assistant Director of Communications in the Nigeria Football Federation, Keshi died after he was rushed to a hospital in Benin after complaining of his legs.

It is reported that Keshi had a problem with his legs and that he could not stand upright for long.

More so Valere Hounandinou, an Assistant Coach to Keshi, confirmed to a Vanguard reporter that Stephen Keshi had complained to him the previous week that he was having irregular heartbeats and that he advised him to go the hospital.  

The Nigeria Football Federation on its twitter handle @thenff tweeted ‘Former Nigeria Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi, is dead. Reports say the legend died in the early hours of Wednesday, RIP Big Boss.'

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi was one of only two people, along with Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary, who have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both player and coach.

Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2001 African Youth Championship.

Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, surprisingly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006.

He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. Keshi was 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.

Keshi was married to his wife Kate (née Abureme) for 33 years. She died on 10 December 2015, after battling cancer for three years. They had four children.

Keshi died this morning in Benin City, after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He was 54.