Brief Profile/Biography/History Of Late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi is a retired Nigerian football player. He was born in 1962 and played for African and European, mostly Belgian, football clubs.

He was a key player of the Nigerian national team and appeared at the 1994 FIFAWorld Cup, played in five African Cup of Nations championships and was a part of the team, when they won the 1994 African Cup of Nations.

Having finished professional playing career Stephen Keshi got special coaching education in the USA.

From 2004 till 2006 he headed the Togo national team and led them to their first ever FIFA World Cup championship in 2006.

Keshi guided the Mali national team for two seasons and then he was appointed the head coach of the Nigeria national team. In 2013 Stephen guided the Eagles to the African Cup of Nations title. At 2014 World Cup in Brazil Nigeria made it to the round of 16, but lost to France. Hours after that defeat, Stephen Keshi resigned from the national team.

FULL NAME: Stephen Okechukwu Keshi was born on 23 january 1962 in Azare, Bauchi stste, Nigeria.
Height    1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position    Defender

COACHING JOB:    Nigeria (manager)
SENIOR CARRER
Years    Team    Apps†    (Gls)†
1979    ACB Lagos    10    (1)
1980–1984    New Nigeria Bank    42    (4)
1985    Stade d’Abidjan    13    (2)
1986    Africa Sports    22    (2)
1986–1987    Lokeren    28    (6)
1987–1991    Anderlecht    99    (18)
1991–1993    RC Strasbourg    62    (9)
1993–1994    Molenbeek    40    (1)
1995    CCV Hydra    20    (1)
1996    Sacramento Scorpions    16    (3)
1997–1998    Perlis FA    34    (4)
National team
1981–1995    Nigeria    64    (9)
Teams managed
2004–2006    Togo
2007–2008    Togo
2008–2010    Mali
2011    Togo
2011–    Nigeria
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (born 23 January 1962) is a Nigerian football manager and former football defender who has managed the Nigeria national team since 2011. He is 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.
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COACHING CAREER

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 defense for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions. Keshi has 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 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, unexpectedly 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 African 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 Africa Cup of Nations.

Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011.He led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which they went on to win, defeating Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final. The following day Keshi handed in his resignation, only to reverse his decision the day after.

How Stephen Keshi Died:

Emmanuel Ado, a family spokesperson, confirmed Keshi suffered a cardiac arrest in the early hours of Wednesday.

“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 said in a statement to Premium Times.

“Our son, brother, father, father-in-law, brother-in-law, has gone to be with his wife of 35 years, Mrs. Kate Keshi, who passed on the 9th of 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.”

Keshi made 64 international appearances as a player, and was a part of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team.