Christian Chukwu: Former Super Eagles Coach Passes Away

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Stephen Keshi, the former captain and coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team, has sadly passed away.

The announcement of his death was made by his former teammate, Segun Odegbami, on Saturday.

Affectionately referred to as “Chairman,” the ex-captain of the Green Eagles died at the age of 74, with the cause of death not disclosed at the time of this report.

“My Chairman has passed away. I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my dear friend and teammate, one of the greatest footballers, former captain and coach of Nigeria’s national football team, has left us,” Odegbami expressed.

“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, informed me of this tragic news just moments ago!

“May ‘Onyim’ find eternal peace with our Creator in Heaven, and may his family find solace.”

As a player, Chukwu captained the Nigerian national team, then known as the Green Eagles, from 1974 to 1980. He was part of the Nigerian squads that won the Africa Nations’ Cup in 1980 and finished as runners-up in 1976 and 1978.

He was the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy, achieving this feat with a 3–0 victory over Algeria in the final of the 1980 tournament.

In October 1998, he was appointed as the coach of the Kenya national team. Subsequently, from 2003 to 2005, he served as the coach of Nigeria, guiding the team to the semifinals of the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

During the qualification phase for the 2006 World Cup, Chukwu faced criticism for his coaching and management of the Nigerian national team, leading to his suspension two matches before the qualification campaign concluded.

In two encounters—home and away—against the eventual group winners, Angola, Nigeria was unable to secure a victory in either match. This was attributed to Chukwu, and these critical failures ultimately resulted in Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, marking the end of their streak of participation in all World Cup finals since their debut in 1994.

Chukwu also led Enugu Rangers to a 6th place finish in the 2008–2009 Nigeria Premier League season.