Stephen Keshi: 10 quick facts about the late Nigerian football icon

Stephen Keshi dies at 54

Former Super Eagles skipper and head coach, Stephen Keshi passed on in the early hours of today after reportedly suffering from cardiac arrest in Benin, Edo state.
As Nigerians mourn the late soccer star, here are 10 quick facts about him…

1. Stephen Okechukwu Keshi was born on January 23, 1962.

   

   Late Keshi and former president of Nigeria Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

2. He played as a defender for Super Eagles of Nigerian and several football clubs.
3. Keshi was also a successful football coach. He managed the Nigerian, Togolese and Malian national teams during his coaching career. He guided the Togolese team to their only World cup appearance till date and won the African Nation’s cup with Nigeria in 2013.

   

   Daniel Amokachi lifts Stephen Keshi after the Super Eagles win AFCON

4. He kicked off his career as a footballer at a very tender 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.
5. He represented Nigerian national team 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.
6. Following an illustrious playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to get his coaching badges.
7. Keshi was one of 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.

   

   A young Keshi lifting the African Nations Cup in 1994

8. Keshi was nicknamed the ‘Big Boss’ owing to his leadership skills
9. His wife of many years, Kate died on December 9, 2015 after losing a long battle with cancer.

   

   Stephen Keshi and his late wife, Kate.

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