Former player and Coach of the Nigerian Super Eagles, Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi is dead. He died in the early hours of this mornning in his home in Benin City, Edo state.
The Family has since released a statement on his death. The statement which was released by 4am this morning, some two hours after his death reads:
“Stephen Keshi CON has gone to be with his wife”.
“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,” Ado wrote.
“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.
“We thank God for his life.
“We want to ask for understanding in this very difficult time for the family.” The statement signed by Emmanuel Ado for the entire Keshi Family.
“He was not ill at all, never showed any signs of illness, but we suspect he never got over the death of his wife,” a friend said.
The news has gotten Your Truly thinking, if Keshi was really hale and healthy like his family claims, what were they doing around him at the time of his death. According to the report, he died around 2am or there about and a statement was released a few minutes later.
I believe our beloved Stephen Keshi returned to the country ill and was under some sort of traditional treatment in his home before passing away this morning, otherwise we should have learnt of his death in a different way, probably after family members noticed he didnt come out of his room.
All has not been heard on this issue for sure and it is really touching, considering the fact that he lost his wife, Kate in December of last year to cancer; a loss many believed he never really got over. This is indeed a big loss to the country not just the football family.
Keshi, the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations, achieved a rare feat in 2013 by becoming only the second person to win the trophy both as a player and a coach. The only other person to have achieved the feat is Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary.
He is survived by four children and his mother.
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