..Kesh! Gone for ever...
Football lovers across the world have been desperately engaged online over the sudden announcement of the demise of former Super Eagles’ Coach, Stephen Keshi by his brother and manager, Emmanuel Ado in the early hours of Wednesday.
Many of those who chatted freely on WhatsApp, twitter, facebook and others expressed deep shock wondering what is happening to Nigeria’s football.
Stephhen’s brother had earlier released a statement to announce the untimely death of the football master.
Full text: ‘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.
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.
“We thank God for his life.
“We want to ask for understanding in this very difficult time for the family”.
Brief Biography: Stephen Okechukwu Keshi was a football manager of Nigerian team Super Eagles up until 16 October 2014 and former football defender who managed the Nigeria national team since 2011.
Stephen Keshi was born 23 January 1962 in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching.
He was a key player of the Nigerian national team and appeared at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, played in five African Cup of Nations championships and was a part of the team, when they won the 1994 African Cup of Nations. In 1996, Keshi and Augustine Eguavoen, who once coached the Nigerian national team, played together in California as the backbone of the defence for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions.
Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team. In 2006, Keshi brought them to their first World Cup tournament. After Keshi guided the Mali national team for two seasons (2008-10), he was appointed the head coach of the Nigeria national team in 2011.
In 2013, Stephen guided the Eagles to the African Cup of Nations title. At 2014 World Cup in Brazil Nigeria made it to the round of 16, but lost to France.
He is one of only two people, along with Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach.
After the match with France, Stephen Keshi announced his resignation as Super Eagles coach.
However, later the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) offered him to coach two more matches. In October 2014, he claimed to have lost interest in continuing the job, following the breakdown of negotiations.
Keshi will be greatly missed by soccerloving Nigerians and others. Rest in peace!
Packaged by PMParrotng's Olayinka Agboola with additional reports from naij.com
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