Ex Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi Dead At 54… Details Of How He Died In Benin

Late Super Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen KeshiFormer Super Eagles coach and captain, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi is dead.

The 54-year old who also coached the national team of Togo and Mali repprtedly died of cardiac arrest.

In a statement issued by Emmanuel Ado, brother to the late Keshi, he said:

“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.”

It would be recalled that Keshi lost his wife of 35 years, Kate, to cancer last December.
How He Died In Benin

Family sources have explained how Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, former Nigerian football captain and coach died.
Keshi, 54, died early today in Benin, capital of Edo State, just about six months after his wife, Kate died in the United States.

According to close family sources, Keshi complained of being unwell just before midnight on Tuesday and he was found to be gasping for breath.

He was rushed to Faith Hospital in the Benin Government Reservation Area. He died around 00.30 this morning.

His body has been deposited at the Central Hospital in the city.

Keshi was born in Azare Bauchi state on 23 January, 1962.

He spent most of his growing up years in Lagos. He started playing football for the defunct African Continental Bank in 1979.

He joined the New Nigerian Bank in 1980 and played for four years. He joined Stade d’Abidjan in 1985.

Two years after, Keshi moved over to Lokeren in Belgium, a country where he also played for Anderlecht.

Keshi played for Nigeria between 1981 and 1995, making 64 appearances.

He was appointed manager of the Nigeria national team in 2011, during which he qualified Nigeria for the World Cup in Brazil and also won the African Nations Cup in 2013.

Only Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary, had won the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach, before Keshi.

Keshi also coached Togo and Mali before being appointed to lead Nigeria.