Stephen Keshi

Stephen Keshi Biography / Profile

Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Kesh was born on January 23rd, 1962 in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. He hailed from Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. Keshi played as a defender for clubs such as ACB Lagos, New Nigeria Bank, Stade d'Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren 28, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg, and Perlis FA. He also featured for the national team of Nigeria. As a manager, Keshi achieved success by qualifying Togo for the only FIFA World Cup appearance in its history in 2006. However, he left the position prior to the tournament and was replaced by Otto Pfister. He later coached Nigeria, where he became one of only two people, along with Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach.

Stephen Keshi Age

Stephen Keshi would have been 62 years old, if he were alive today. May his soul rest in peace.

Stephen Keshi Early Life

Keshi had his early education at Saint Paul’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Apapa Road, Lagos State. He proceeded to Saint Finbarrs’ College, Akoka, Lagos in 1976. He subsequently received his high school certificate at Saint Gregory’s College, after which he earned a degree from the University of Lagos.

Stephen Keshi Career

During his playing career, Keshi earned 60 caps for the Nigerian national football team, making him the nation's second-most capped player at the time of his retirement. He represented the country at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, captaining the Super Eagles to victory in the latter. He also played club football in five countries, most notably Belgium, where he won the Belgian league championship with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1991. 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 had been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2001 African Youth Championship which also served as qualification for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, without success. Between 2004 and 2006, he 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 Pfister prior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the knock-out stage in 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in 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. Keshi was sacked in January 2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011. In 2013 he led the Super Eagles of Nigeria victory at African Nations Cup, defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final. 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. Nigeria progressed to the knockout stage of 2014 World Cup. In 2014, he was ranked as the number one coach in Africa and 14th in the world. In July 2015, following Nigeria's exit from the World Cup and failed AFCON qualification, Keshi's contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expired and was not renewed.

Stephen Keshi Personal Life

Keshi was married to his wife Kate (née Aburime) for 30 years. She died on 10 December 2015, after battling cancer for three years. They had four children - Emeke Enyihor, Stephanie Enyihor, Femi and Jennifer. Keshi had a heart attack and died en route to hospital on 7 June 2016 in Benin City, aged 54. H was buried on July 29th, 2016 in his hometown of Illah, Delta State.

Stephen Keshi Awards

Keshi won the Confedrations of African Football (CAF) Coach of the Year award in 2006 and 2013. He was also awarded the CAP Legends Award in 2010. After leading Nigria to her third AFCON title in 2013, he was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), one of Nigeria’s highest national honours, by then President, Goodluck Jonathan. On what would have been his 56th birthday if he were alive, Keshi was on January 23rd, 2018, honoured by tech Giant Google with a doodle.