STEPHEN KESHI: A Minuscule Tribute

By Omoseye Bolaji

Yes, it still seems incredible, but the fact is Stephen Keshi has departed this world after indelible, glittering contributions to Nigerian and African football. And more.

The footballing world  these days knows much more about Keshi the Coach, not the player. And  those of us who have fond memories of Keshi strutting his stuff on the field of play - amidst other glimpses of this scintillating personality - feel that we should reminisce un peu about the past.

Keshi, always charming and confident, always had greatness thrust upon him. How else do we explain that some of his erstwhile colleagues on the field of play - like his fellow central defender, the superb Sunday Eboigbe - have been forgotten, whilst Keshi's stature remains evergreen and lustrous?    

Hark back to Keshi decades ago holding the fort for Nigeria at the back, directing, organising; even lubricating the attack intermittently...as he did so splendidly during the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1984 when Nigeria garnered the silver medal so unexpectedly...what a fine young team that was!!

Keshi and some other Nigerian stars however were thereafter banned by the powers that be, and he in particular found himself moving onto Ivory Coast to ply his trade. That was over 30 years ago. It was the making of the Keshi the world knows and mourns now, as he became more cosmopolitan, learned other languages and went on to do very well in Belgium as a prized footballer.  

All this would rub off positively on the national team, and the increasing number of young Nigerian footballers who regarded Keshi as the icon he already was even then, and who would also have the confidence to try their luck in European football. And Nigerian football continued to be enriched, thanks to The Big Boss.   

Keshi was now at his peak as a footballer, in the late 80s and early 90s, scoring more and more fantastic goals for the Super Eagles with blistering shots; as he did against Angola in 1989 during the World Cup qualifying games.  

And against Cameroon that same year (same qualifying campaign) Keshi repeated the trick, hitting a superb shot and goal. I was inside the stadium that day in Ibadan (then Adamasingba stadium) and saw a thrilling Eagles side, brimming with the talents of the likes of Etim Esin, Siasia, Owubokiri...and Keshi of course held it all together. Tragic that such a fine team did not make it to the 1990 World Cup finals.

But at least Keshi - though aging by 1994 - would realise a life ambition of making it to a World Cup finals. He was still skipper, captain, motivator and leader, even if he did not play much in America that year. By this time, he had inspired so many African players to move onto professional European football that even before he became a Coach, his contributions were already carved in gold.

Keshi was always a born leader, as Coaches from Adegboye Onigbinde to Clemens Westerhof were quick to perceive, utilize and benefit from. He was also a born winner who nevertheless was never a "ruffian" on the field of play. He was exemplary, charismatic, ebullient and strikingly fluent on the field.   

And talking of fluency, Keshi was so proficient with languages. Many years ago I was surprised when he spoke Yoruba with me in Lagos (at an event); then of course he was so dexterous in French that you wondered whether it was his Mother tongue! What a man!    

His feats as a Coach are well known - for Togo (who could ever have imagined Togo qualifying for World Cup finals!?); for Mali, and for Nigeria. Yes we all know he won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player/captain; and then as Coach later on. But Keshi was much more than this. A quintessential legend. R.I.P, Big Boss.