Stephen Keshi
Stephen Keshi
Personal informationFull name
Stephen Okechukwu Keshi
Date of birth23 January 1962 [1]Place of birth
Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria
Date of death8 June 2016(aged 54)Place of death
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)Playing position
Defender
Senior career*Years
TeamApps†(Gls)†
1979 ACB Lagos10(1)
1980–1984 New Nigeria Bank42(4)
1985 Stade d'Abidjan13(2)
1986 Africa Sports22(2)
1986–1987 Lokeren28(6)
1987–1991 Anderlecht99(18)
1991–1993 RC Strasbourg62(9)
1993–1994 RWDM40(1)
1995 CCV Hydra20(1)
1996 Sacramento Scorpions16(3)
1997–1998 Perlis FA34(4)Total
386(51)
National team
1981–1995 Nigeria64(9)
Teams managed
2004–2006 Togo
2007–2008 Togo
2008–2010 Mali
2011 Togo
2011–2015 Nigeria
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (goals)
Stephen Okechukwu Keshi(23 January 1962 – 8 June 2016) was a Nigerian football defender. He was also a football managerof the Nigerianational team. He was one of only two people, along with Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nationsas both a player and a coach.
Coaching career
After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching.
In 1996 he was joined by Augustine Eguavoen, who once coached the Nigerian national team. They played together in California as the backbone of the defence for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions. Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eaglesat the 2001 African Youth Championshipwhich also served as qualification for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, without success.
Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, surprisingly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo's unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach Otto Pfisterprior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the knock-out stage in 2006 African Cup of Nationsin Egypt.
However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial World Cup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February 2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time for a friendly against Cameroon.
He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. [2]Keshi was sacked in January 2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. [3]
Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011. [4] [5]He led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which they went on to win, defeating Burkina Faso1–0 in the final. [6]The following day Keshi handed in his resignation, [7]only to reverse his decision the day after. [8]Keshi led Nigeria to the 2013 Confederations Cup, defeated Tahiti6–1, and lost 1–2 to Uruguayin the second game, and also lost 0–3 to World Cup winners, Spainin their final group game.
On 16 November 2013, Keshi's Nigeria secured qualification to the 2014 World Cupby beating Ethiopia4–1 on aggregate in a play-off. [9]
On 18 November 2013, Stephen keshi set a record in African football by being the first African coach to successfully qualify two African nations (Nigeria and Togo) to the World Cup Finals. He also helped Nigeria become the first country to achieve an African Cup of Nations trophy and World Cup qualification, both in 2013.
On 25 June 2014, Keshi's Nigeria progressed to the knockout stage of 2014 World Cup. They started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Iran, followed by a controversial 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. They lost the final group stage match 2-3 against Argentina, but progressed to the knockout stage, courtesy of a 3-1 win by Bosnia and Herzegovinaover Iran.
On 30 June 2014, the Super Eagles lost to France in a 2014 World Cup Round of 16 match. After the match, Keshi announced his resignation as Super Eagles coach [10]but later reversed the decision after the Nigerian Football Federation renewed his contract. [11]
On 14 October 2014, his team failed to win a single game in the ongoing Morocco 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifying series and he announced he would move to another job if pressure continues to mount because of certain people, whom he refused to name, were trying to "sabotage" him. However, he stated that he will continue to coach the Super Eagles because he loves the team and he loves his country.
In July 2015, following Nigeria's exit from the World Cup, Keshi's contract with the Nigerian Football Federation expired and was not renewed. [12]A statement by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee said the decision was made, having thoroughly reviewed the reports/findings of the NFF Disciplinary Committee and NFF Technical and Development Committee, as well as having reviewed the actions and inaction of Stephen Keshi, in the performance of his duties as Super Eagles' Head Coach, which NFF found to lack the required commitment to achieve the Federation's objectives as set out in the Coach's employment contract.
Personal life
Keshi was married to his wife Kate (née Abureme) for 33 years. She died on 10 December 2015, after battling cancer for three years. They had four children. [13]
Death
Keshi died on 8 June 2016 in Benin City, after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He was 54.
Stephen Keshi
Personal informationFull name
Stephen Okechukwu Keshi
Date of birth23 January 1962 [1]Place of birth
Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria
Date of death8 June 2016(aged 54)Place of death
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)Playing position
Defender
Senior career*Years
TeamApps†(Gls)†
1979 ACB Lagos10(1)
1980–1984 New Nigeria Bank42(4)
1985 Stade d'Abidjan13(2)
1986 Africa Sports22(2)
1986–1987 Lokeren28(6)
1987–1991 Anderlecht99(18)
1991–1993 RC Strasbourg62(9)
1993–1994 RWDM40(1)
1995 CCV Hydra20(1)
1996 Sacramento Scorpions16(3)
1997–1998 Perlis FA34(4)Total
386(51)
National team
1981–1995 Nigeria64(9)
Teams managed
2004–2006 Togo
2007–2008 Togo
2008–2010 Mali
2011 Togo
2011–2015 Nigeria
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (goals)
Stephen Okechukwu Keshi(23 January 1962 – 8 June 2016) was a Nigerian football defender. He was also a football managerof the Nigerianational team. He was one of only two people, along with Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nationsas both a player and a coach.
Coaching career
After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching.
In 1996 he was joined by Augustine Eguavoen, who once coached the Nigerian national team. They played together in California as the backbone of the defence for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions. Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eaglesat the 2001 African Youth Championshipwhich also served as qualification for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, without success.
Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, surprisingly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo's unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach Otto Pfisterprior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the knock-out stage in 2006 African Cup of Nationsin Egypt.
However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial World Cup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February 2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time for a friendly against Cameroon.
He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. [2]Keshi was sacked in January 2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. [3]
Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011. [4] [5]He led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which they went on to win, defeating Burkina Faso1–0 in the final. [6]The following day Keshi handed in his resignation, [7]only to reverse his decision the day after. [8]Keshi led Nigeria to the 2013 Confederations Cup, defeated Tahiti6–1, and lost 1–2 to Uruguayin the second game, and also lost 0–3 to World Cup winners, Spainin their final group game.
On 16 November 2013, Keshi's Nigeria secured qualification to the 2014 World Cupby beating Ethiopia4–1 on aggregate in a play-off. [9]
On 18 November 2013, Stephen keshi set a record in African football by being the first African coach to successfully qualify two African nations (Nigeria and Togo) to the World Cup Finals. He also helped Nigeria become the first country to achieve an African Cup of Nations trophy and World Cup qualification, both in 2013.
On 25 June 2014, Keshi's Nigeria progressed to the knockout stage of 2014 World Cup. They started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Iran, followed by a controversial 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. They lost the final group stage match 2-3 against Argentina, but progressed to the knockout stage, courtesy of a 3-1 win by Bosnia and Herzegovinaover Iran.
On 30 June 2014, the Super Eagles lost to France in a 2014 World Cup Round of 16 match. After the match, Keshi announced his resignation as Super Eagles coach [10]but later reversed the decision after the Nigerian Football Federation renewed his contract. [11]
On 14 October 2014, his team failed to win a single game in the ongoing Morocco 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifying series and he announced he would move to another job if pressure continues to mount because of certain people, whom he refused to name, were trying to "sabotage" him. However, he stated that he will continue to coach the Super Eagles because he loves the team and he loves his country.
In July 2015, following Nigeria's exit from the World Cup, Keshi's contract with the Nigerian Football Federation expired and was not renewed. [12]A statement by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee said the decision was made, having thoroughly reviewed the reports/findings of the NFF Disciplinary Committee and NFF Technical and Development Committee, as well as having reviewed the actions and inaction of Stephen Keshi, in the performance of his duties as Super Eagles' Head Coach, which NFF found to lack the required commitment to achieve the Federation's objectives as set out in the Coach's employment contract.
Personal life
Keshi was married to his wife Kate (née Abureme) for 33 years. She died on 10 December 2015, after battling cancer for three years. They had four children. [13]
Death
Keshi died on 8 June 2016 in Benin City, after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He was 54.
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