Stephen Keshi’s death on Wednesday, June 8 in Benin City ended the unfinished business between him and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Unknown to many, the NFF had concluded plans to sign a five-year contract with Keshi to qualify the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
NFF officials acknowledged that failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), the second time in succession, was painful, and decided to re-engage Keshi on a monthly salary of N7 million.
An NFF source said: “We regretted the circumstances that led to his sack last July and we were on the verge of concluding a plan to sign him on for a five-year contract as the new Super Eagles coach.”
This might be connected with attempts to block Keshi from taking up the job of handling Orlando Pirates of South Africa.
A close aide of Keshi told TheNiche that Keshi was due to travel to South Africa to finalise talks with Orlando Pirates on the day he gave up the ghost.
Though the money offered by the South African team was better than what Nigeria offered, Keshi’s decision to favourably consider the offer by the NFF was based on his love for the country.
“I will like to continue to coach the Super Eagles because I love the team and my country Nigeria,” he once said.
TheNiche learnt that Orlando Pirates agreed to pay Keshi between $10,000 and $15,000 per month.
Many newspapers had reported that he was billed to travel back to his base in the United States on the day he died in Benin City. But he was actually to travel to South Africa to meet officials of Orlando Pirates on the deal.
NFF officials mounted so much pressure on him on Tuesday, June 7 not to go to South Africa but he insisted on travelling before finally making up his mind on the Super Eagles’ job.
One death too many
Nigerians from all the nooks and crannies of this vast country are still pouring tributes Keshi.
Family sources said the 54-year-old, who buried his wife, Kate, only six months ago, had complained of irregular heartbeats and pain in his legs and was being taken to a nearby hospital in Benin City when he died.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick
“This is devastating. We have lost a super hero. The NFF (Nigeria Football Federation) board will meet and decide on the best way to honour Stephen Keshi. We will be fully involved in the arrangements for the final burial rites.”
NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi
“There are no praise words too big to describe Stephen Keshi. I still cannot bring myself to speak about him in the past tense.”
Sani Ahmed Toro, who was secretary general of Nigeria’s football governing body in those glorious days of Keshi
“This is a big loss to Nigerian football. Please accept my condolences.”
Adegboye Onigbinde, who made Keshi Nigeria’s captain in 1983
“This is too much of a shock. May his soul rest in peace.”
Former Super Eagles Assistant Coach, Joe Erico, who once coached Keshi
“We’ve lost an industrious Nigerian. We’ve lost a dedicated and lover of the game of football. We will surely miss him in our midst.”
‘Mathematical’ Segun Odegbami
“History of Nigerian football will never be complete without the name of Keshi. He came, he saw, and he conquered.”
Interim Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, one of Keshi’s assistants when he coached Nigeria between November 2011 and June 2015
“Keshi was a great man. A lover of the game of football. A good companion and accommodating fellow. May his gentle soul rest in peace.”
Former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi
“That we were victorious and won the Nation’s Cup after 19 years was largely due to the leadership provided to the team by Keshi. He was passionate and committed to the Super Eagles team as he was to Nigerian football.
“Keshi’s love for Nigeria was never in doubt, whether as a coach, captain of the Super Eagles or footballer.”
Milestones of a ‘Big Boss’
Keshi won CAN as player and coach. The only person to achieve similar feat was Egyptian, Mahmoud el-Gohary, who is also deceased.
Keshi’s death came five days short of a year to his last match with the Super Eagles’ 2-0 defeat of Chad in a CAN qualifier in Kaduna.
Nicknamed ‘Big Boss’, the flambouyant Keshi captained Nigeria between 1983 and 1994, during which he won CAN gold, silver, and bronze; and led the country to qualify for its first FIFA World Cup finals.
He captained the Super Eagles at the FIFA World Cup in the U. S. in 1994, a few months after leading the team to win CAN for the first time on away soil in Tunis, Tunisia.
Keshi was assistant to Dutchman, Johannes Bonfrere as the Super Eagles finished as runners-up in CAN in 2000, and then became the first Nigerian coach who guided the Super Eagles to CAN glory at the 2013 finals in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In his 44 months in charge, Keshi won CAN (2013), qualified the team for the FIFA World Cup finals (2010), led it at the FIFA Confederations Cup (2010), and steered it to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil (2014).
His contract was not renewed after the World Cup but he later returned in a match-by-match deal following Nigeria’s failure to reach the 2015 CAN finals.
He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Keshi was sacked for a final time in July 2015.
Before that, he had received global applause after qualifying tiny Togo for its first FIFA World Cup in 2006.
He also coached Mali’s senior team.
A colourful playing career took Keshi to defunct ACB FC of Lagos and defunct NNB FC of Benin City (Nigeria), Stade Abidjan and Africa Sports (Cote d’Ivoire), Lokeren, Anderlecht and Molenbeek (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Jaguar Bay, San Jose and Sacramento Scorpions (U.S.), and Perlis of Malaysia.
He represented Nigeria at both junior and senior levels, winning 64 senior caps.
His first match for the senior team was against Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) on July 18, 1981 and his last was the FIFA World Cup clash with Greece in the U.S. on June 30, 1994.
Keshi will be remembered for, among other things, giving ample opportunity to home-based players to compete for shirts in the Super Eagles.
He was rewarded for this when homeboy Sunday Mba scored two crucial goals in Nigeria’s campaign at CAN 2010 in South Africa, including the only goal of the final match against Burkina Faso.
Keshi is survived by four children.
