One of African football's best-known figures, Stephen Keshi, has died at the age of 54, the Nigeria Football Federation reportedly confirmed. 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 thought to have suffered a heart attack, as local media reported. 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. He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan. He was sacked for a final time last July.
Chairman, Edo State Football Association (EFA), Frank Ilaboya, today Wednesday revealed that the remains of former Super Eagle’s coach, Stephen Keshi, had been deposited in a mortuary in Benin. Information gathered confirms that his remains was deposited at a privately-owned mortuary, Faith Mediplex located on the Benin Airport road in the Edo capital.
According to Ilaboya, Keshi’s family member, Ricky Aburimen, revealed that before Keshi's death, the Eagle’s former coach only complained of a leg ailment while holidaying at his home in Benin before he passed away. Also, it was revealed that Keshi died on the way to the hospital at about 3am.
A family member has exclusively disclosed to another of our sources on Wednesday morning hours after legendary football star, Stephen Keshi passed on that “Since the death of his wife, Kate, in December 2015, his life had changed dramatically.”
When his wife died, Keshi had said: “She was ill for a while now and I’m still in shock of this great loss. She is more like a sister to me and was the rock behind me and everything I do. My love for her was at first sight.”
The source said the 54-year-old football icon had become hypertensive “but was managing it very well… always taking his medications and checking his blood pressure very regularly”.
Another family member also reported that since the former Super Eagles’ coach lost his wife, he had become so lonely that he was practically soliciting phone calls from friends.
“After the burial of his wife, people practically left him to himself. The calls and visits became fewer, and he felt the pain the more. They were married for 35 years and he watched the love of his life battle bravely with cancer for three years. He was inconsolable,” he said.
It was gathered that Keshi, who was due to travel to the USA later in the day, started complaining of excruciating pains in his legs a few minutes to midnight. He was rushed to the hospital when the pains would not subside, but he passed away on his way to the hospital at about 3:00 am.
In a statement issued by his family, the preliminary cause of death was given as “cardiac arrest”. Respected sports journalist, Kayode Tijani, who was very close to Keshi, said that he spoke with the former international last weekend.
“He asked about me from a mutual friend, so I immediately called him. He was so appreciative. You would think I gave him something he did not have. He kept thanking me profusely for calling him,” Tijani said.
A statement on Keshi’s death released by Emmanuel Ado, brother and aide to the late Keshi states: “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.”
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