suffered a cardiac arrest.
In a tribute to the late coach contained
in a statement, Professor Osinbajo said:
“As captain and coach of our national
football team, his service, dedication
and achievements, including lifting the
African Nations Cup both as a player
and then as a coach, remain a great
testament to the value of hard work”.
He pointed out that his
personal
triumphs and pursuits as a world-class
professional footballer inspired many
young talented sportsmen and women
around Africa to strive for excellence.
The statement further said: “His great
work with our youth and senior national
teams unified our country and brought
joy to many compatriots. His feats
within and outside the country, are a
rich legacy, which will continue to live
on in our hearts.
“On behalf of the people and
Government of Nigeria, I commiserate
with the family of Mr Stephen Keshi on
this tragic loss.
“Our thoughts are with his children at
this time of sadness especially so soon
after the loss of their mother. We send
our deepest condolences to them and
also to the countless friends he made in
a lifetime of service.
“We pray that God grants the family the
fortitude to bear the loss”.
Meanwhile, the Honourable Minister for
Youth and Sports Development, Mr
Solomon Dalung, has assured Nigerians
that government would seek ways to
immortalize the late coach.
He expressed shock and sadness over
the sudden passage of Mr Keshi, saying
that the news of his death came to him
as a big surprise, as the former coach
was neither sick nor had any health
issues before his demise.
“It is with a heavy heart but gratitude to
the almighty God, that I, on behalf of
the Federal Ministry of Youth and
Sports and the Federal government of
Nigeria sympathize with the family of
Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (MON)
and the entire Nigerian football family
over the untimely death of our amiable,
dedicated and outstanding hero.
“I was really shocked by the news of his
death. He was one of Nigeria’s heroes
whose contributions to the development
of football and Nigeria’s sports in
general cannot be quantified,” Dalung
said.
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