Nigeria and indeed the football world are yet to come to terms with the sudden demise of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, a football legend of our time who passed on to glory on Wednesday, 8th  June 2016, at the age of 54.

As a pupil of St Finbarrs College, football beckoned and he became a key member of the Akoka-based school’s football team and helped them win the 1977  Lagos State Principal’s Cup. Afterwards, he joined the ACB Football Club, Lagos before moving to the New Nigeria Bank FC, Benin, where he was spotted by national team selectors.

Keshi played in five different African Cup of Nations tournaments, captaining the Super Eagles to their second continental success in 1994 in Tunisia.  He was instrumental to Nigeria’s maiden appearance at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the US where they reached the second round before losing to Italy.

He laid the foundation for Nigerian footballers’ professional careers when he first moved to the Ivory Coast league before departing for Belgium. His success drew many local players to Europe. He went on to play in France, the USA, and Malaysia.

Keshi’s coaching career began with Togo, where he became the first and only coach to qualify the country to the World Cup. He later coached Mali. With this track record, he was appointed coach of the Nigerian national team in November 2011. He led the Super Eagles to the 2013 African Cup of Nations title in South Africa, becoming only the second man to win it both as a player and coach.

Keshi also became the second coach to lead Nigeria to the second round of the World Cup in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He remains the only African coach to have helped two nations qualify for the tournament.

Nicknamed “Big Boss” because of his leadership abilities, Keshi was charismatic and respected in football circles throughout Africa, which accounted for the continent-wide mourning that followed news of his demise.

He temporarily quit in the aftermath of their Africa Cup of Nations victory following a dispute with the Nigerian football authorities over unpaid wages.  He reversed his decision and took the team to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as caretaker coach. In 2014, Keshi was sacked by the NFF and reinstalled after intervention from then President Jonathan.

Perhaps, what led to his early demise was the death of his wife, Nkem, in December, 2015. He died days after he was linked with South African giants Orlando Pirates.

We join the nation and the African continent in saluting one of the true legends of our football. We wish him eternal rest, and may the Almighty God console his family and teeming fans across Nigeria.