THE LEGEND - STEPHEN OKECHUKWU CHINEDU KESHI PASSES ON

One of African football's legendary figures, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has died at the age of 54, the Nigeria Football Federation has said.

Keshi with AFCON 94 trophy

A former captain of the Nigeria national team, Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach.

He also managed Togo and Mali, and his playing career included a spell for Belgian club side Anderlecht.

He is said to have suffered a heart attack, local media reported.

Keshi with teammates when they won AFOCN 94 (GK Peter Rufai, Sunday Oliseh and Keshi)

As a player, Keshi was part of the Super Eagles team that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and narrowly missed out on a World Cup quarter-final place the same year.

He coached the national side over three spells, leading Nigeria to the 2013 Nations Cup title in South Africa and the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His contract was not renewed after the World Cup but he later returned on a match-by-match deal following the team's failure to reach the 2015 Nations Cup finals.

President Goodluck Jonathan presents commendations to Keshi after winning AFCON 13 as a coach

He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He was sacked for a final time last July.

How Keshi Died

The Chairman of the Edo State Football Association (EFA), Frank Ilaboya, confirmed on Wednesday that the remains of former Super Eagle’s coach, Stephen Keshi, had been moved to a mortuary in Benin.

The privately-owned mortuary, Faith Mediplex, is located on the Benin Airport road in the Edo State capital.

Mr. Ilaboya quoted Mr. Keshi’s faimily member, Ricky Aburimen, as saying the Eagle’s former coach only complained of a leg ailment while holidaying at his Airport road home in Benin before he passed away.

He said Mr. Keshi died on the way to hospital at about 3 am.

The ex- international lost his wife , Nkem Kate Keshi only last December. They had been married for more than 30 years. She died after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Mr. Keshi is survived by four children and his mother.

Meanwhile, a statement on the coaches death had been released by Emmanuel Ado, brother and aide to the late Mr. Keshi, said: “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 away 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.” 

The Legend Keshi

1. His full name was Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi.

2. He was born on January 23, 1962.

3. He hails from Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.

4. He played as a defender for Super Eagles of Nigerian and several football clubs.

5. Apart from the Nigerian national team, Keshi coached the Togolese and Malian national teams.

6. He is the only coach to have taken the Togolese team to the World cup championship till date.

7. The first football club he ever played for in Nigeria was ACB Football Club, before joining New Nigeria Bank, Stade d’Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg among other clubs.

8. From 1981 to 1995 when he stopped playing international football for Nigeria, Keshi appeared 64 times in the Eagles colour and scored a total of nine goals.

9. He served as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2001 African Youth Championship.

10. He spoke French and English fluently.

11. Keshi was one of the only two soccer stars, along with Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach.

12. He won the African Nations Cup in 1994 as a captain and as a coach in 2013.

13. His wife of 33 years, Kate died on December 9, 2015 after losing a long battle with cancer.

14. Keshi is survived by four children and his mother.

Celebration of AFCON 13 with Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Daniel 'The Bull" Amokachi, Peterside Idah and Uche Kalu