Ex-Super Eagles captain and former coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has died in the early hours of Wednesday, June 8, 2016 in Benin, Edo State.
The 54-year-old former Super Eagles defender was reportedly rushed to the hospital after complaining about unusual pains in his legs.
According to the Assistant Director of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation, Keshi had problems with his legs and couldn’t stand for long. He died after he was rushed to an hospital in Benin.
The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the news on twitter, saying: “Former Nigeria Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi, is dead. Reports say the legend died in the early hours of Wednesday, RIP Big Boss.”
The Family in a statement released shortly after his death said Keshi never got over the death of his wife, Kate, who died in December of last year to cancer.
The statement reads in part:
“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.”
The statement was signed by Emmanuel Ado for the entire Keshi Family.
Assistant coach, Valere Hounandinou also disclosed that Stephen Keshi complained to him that he was having irregular heart beats and he advised him to go the hospital.
Keshi was the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations and 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.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
