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| Keshi and his late wife |
Former Nigerian head coach Stephen Keshi has died at age 54.
The Nigerian football icon reportedly died suddenly in the early hours of today, Wednesday in Benin City, Edo state.
He was rushed to Faith Medical Center, Benin around 12 midnight, after he complained of pains which got worse. He was said to have died seated on the front passenger's seat of the car used to rush
him in.
Stephen Keshi was scheduled to return to the United States on Wednesday evening before he suffered this cardiac arrest. Mr. Keshi lost his wife of 33 years, Kate, to cancer last year.
him in.
Stephen Keshi was scheduled to return to the United States on Wednesday evening before he suffered this cardiac arrest. Mr. Keshi lost his wife of 33 years, Kate, to cancer last year.
She was buried January this year, not knowing that 5 months later, this was going to happen.
One of his friends also told TheCable.ng:
One of his friends also told TheCable.ng:
“He was not ill at all, never showed any signs of illness, but we suspect he never got over the death of his wife.”
Coincidentally, Keshi and his wife breathed their last on a Wednesday.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
Keshi, the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations, achieved a rare feat in 2013 by becoming only the second person to win the trophy both as a player and a coach.
The only 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.
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