Stephen Keshi facts for kids
Stephen Keshi
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Okechukwu Keshi | ||
| Date of birth | 23 January 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria | ||
| Date of death | 7 June 2016 (aged 54) | ||
| Place of death | Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| 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 | Strasbourg | 62 | (9) |
| 1993–1994 | RWDM | 40 | (1) |
| 1995 | CCV Hydra | 20 | (1) |
| 1996 | Sacramento Scorpions | 16 | (3) |
| 1997–1998 | Perlis FA | 34 | (4) |
| Total | 386 | (51) | |
| National team | |||
| 1981–1995 | Nigeria | 64 | (9) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2004–2006 | Togo | ||
| 2007–2008 | Togo | ||
| 2008–2010 | Mali | ||
| 2011 | Togo | ||
| 2011–2014 | Nigeria | ||
| 2015 | Nigeria | ||
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Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (born January 23, 1962 – died June 7, 2016) was a famous Nigerian football player and coach. He was known as "The Big Boss" because of his strong leadership.
During his time as a player, Keshi was a defender. He played 60 games for the Nigerian national team, also known as the Super Eagles. He was the captain when the Super Eagles won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994. He also played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Stephen Keshi played for many clubs in different countries, especially in Belgium. There, he won the Belgian league championship with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1991.
As a coach, Keshi made history. He helped the Togo national team reach their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2006. Later, he coached his home country, Nigeria. He became one of only two people to win the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach. The other person was Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary.
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Stephen Keshi's Playing Career
Stephen Keshi played football for many years. He was a strong defender. He spent most of his club career playing for teams in Belgium. One of his biggest achievements was winning the Belgian league championship with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1991.
After his playing days, Keshi went to the United States. He studied there to become a football coach.
Stephen Keshi's Coaching Journey
Stephen Keshi began his coaching career by working with the Nigerian national team's staff.
Coaching Togo
From 2004 to 2006, Keshi coached the Togo national team. He led them to their first-ever FIFA World Cup tournament, which was held in Germany in 2006. This was a big surprise for many people.
However, even after helping Togo qualify, he was replaced by another coach, Otto Pfister, before the World Cup began. This happened after Togo did not perform well in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. Later, in 2007, Togo asked Keshi to coach their team again.
Coaching Mali
In April 2008, Stephen Keshi became the manager of the Mali national team. He signed a two-year contract. But in January 2010, he was let go. This was because Mali did not get past the group stage in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
Coaching Nigeria's National Team
Keshi became the coach of the Nigeria national team in 2011. He guided Nigeria to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. They went on to win the tournament, beating Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final game.
The day after winning, Keshi said he would resign, but he changed his mind the very next day. He then led Nigeria to the 2013 Confederations Cup. Nigeria won one game against Tahiti but lost to Uruguay and Spain.
On November 16, 2013, Keshi's Nigerian team qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They beat Ethiopia 4–1 over two games. Keshi made history by being the first African coach to help two different African nations (Nigeria and Togo) qualify for the World Cup. He also helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the World Cup in the same year (2013).
Nigeria reached the knockout stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They drew with Iran and won against Bosnia and Herzegovina. They lost to Argentina but still moved forward. In the first knockout round, the Super Eagles lost to France. After this match, Keshi announced he was resigning, but he later changed his mind again. The Nigerian Football Federation renewed his contract.
In July 2014, after Nigeria left the World Cup, Keshi's contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ended. It was not renewed. The NFF stated that they reviewed his performance and found that he lacked the commitment needed for their goals.
Stephen Keshi's Personal Life
Stephen Keshi was born on January 23, 1962, in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. His family came from Illah in Delta State. He was from the Igbo ethnic group. He went to school in Lagos, Nigeria.
Keshi was married to his wife, Kate, for 30 years. She sadly passed away on December 10, 2015, after battling cancer. They had four children together. Their oldest son, Kos Keshi, also played football professionally.
Stephen Keshi passed away on June 7, 2016, in Benin City, at the age of 54. He had a heart attack on his way to the hospital. His wife had passed away just six months before him.
Stephen Keshi's Legacy
Stephen Keshi is remembered as a football legend. Google honored him with a special doodle on what would have been his 56th birthday.
Honours
Player
New Nigeria Bank
- West African Club Championship: 1983, 1984
Stade d'Abidjan
- Coupe Houphoet Boigny: 1985
Africa Sports
- Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division: 1986
- Côte d'Ivoire Coupe: 1986
- West African Club Championship: 1986
- Coupe Houphoet Boigny: 1986
Anderlecht
- Belgian First Division: 1986–87, 1990–91
- Belgian Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
- Belgian Supercup: 1987
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1989-90 (runners-up)
- Bruges Matins: 1988
Nigeria
Manager
Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2013
- Confederations of African Football – African Coach of the Year 2013.
See also
