TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN KESHI – by Patrick Ezeh

Stephen Keshi

THE MAN STEPHEN KESHI

After the initial firestorm with regard to the final resting place of the great patriot and football icon, all parties have eventually resolved that the man who brought so much joy to Nigerians be finally laid to rest in Illah, his ancestral home. Before now, two schools of thought were prominent; the one believing that since the late football tactician cut his teeth in Benin, it would be only fair to commit his vestiges to the sands of Benin City; while the other school of thought simply favored his being buried at Illah, as a true son of his father. To a very large extent, both opinions were right but only the voice of reason prevailed.

Consequent upon the truce, the burial ceremonies for the fallen soccer hero were fixed for the 27th – 29th of July, 2016. According to the NFF organizing committee, there would be a valedictory football match at the National Stadium, Abuja on the 27th July and lying-in-state in Benin, Edo State capital on the 28th July, 2016 and then, a final journey to Illah, Delta state.

Beyond football, the man Keshi in his short but eventful sojourn on earth bequeathed so much to his generation; some priceless memories they would ever live to savor. Thus, moving away from football, attempts would be made to x-ray some other outstanding legacies of this great man as plans are fine-tuned to bid him final goodbye. Like the proverbial elephant with many sides, this tribute would attempt to highlight some salient accomplishments and impacts of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi on his father land.

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, born to Illah parents some 54 years ago, no doubt profiled himself into a legendary status in African football through a mix of hard work and perseverance. The beautiful football story of this great son of Nigeria started at the St. Finbarrs College, Lagos where he captained his school as a teenager, to lift the most coveted Principal’s Cup trophy in 1977

 KESHI THE DEFENDER:

Keshi then at St. Finbarr’s, was nicknamed 'Terry’, after the legendary England right full-back – Terry Cooper- who revolutionized the playing style of full-backs. With overlapping runs down the right flank, he would joined the attack and also fell back to defend, when necessary. This was in sharp contrast then for full-backs, where defenders stayed in the defense to defend at all times. Stephen Keshi's overlapping runs down the right flank then earned him that nickname.

Subsequently, out of that glorious squad saw Stephen Keshi and Henry Nwosu being called up for the Junior Eagles, a precursor to the present Flying Eagles. And later again, both were called up to the Super Eagles camp in preparation for the 1980 African Cup of Nation's competition. Unfortunately, only Henry Nwosu made the final 22-man list. Keshi was not that lucky.

Despite this early set back, Keshi went on to play for established clubs in Lagos like Wema Bank and ACB Football Clubs. At the end of his college studies at St. Finbarrs, he relocated to Benin City, and was subsequently enrolled at Eghosa Grammar School, in Benin City. While in Benin, he played for and eventually captained the New-Nigeria Bank Football Club of Benin, winning the WAFU cup twice.

Keshi finally made it to the Super Eagles Team, debuting in the friendly game against Uganda in 1981 during preparations for the final world-cup qualifier against Algeria in Benin City. He came into the match as a super substitute to the obviously fading Christian Chukwu in the second half, with the Eagles down 2-0. Keshi made his impact felt with long throws, power-packed shots and over-lapping runs stopping the rampaging Mustapha Koichi, who hitherto terrorized and tormented the Nigeria defense line.

Since then Keshi has risen to become a household name in both local and international football, dominating discussions both as a player and a coach. The most remarkable being the second man ever to lift the Nations cup trophy both as a player and a coach in 2013.

KESHI THE BIG BOSS:

Over time, Keshi had continued to play the big brother role to his contemporaries within and across the African continent being one of the first Africans to succesfuly play professional football in Europe. While in Belgium playing professional football, Keshi ensured he used his rising profile to attract contracts for more African players who soon dominated club sides across Europe and the world over. This pioneering role then, began to earn him the much deserved respect and regard among team mates and contemporaries.

Till date, no one knows when exactly Keshi took on this noble title but emerging facts reveal that Keshi may have earned this sobriquet serving as the national team Captain under the Dutchman, Clement Westerhof, back in the early 90s. During this period in our football history, it was rare to see white-skinned managers trust judgments of black subordinates due largely, to some preconceived negative impressions. Keshi in later interviews suspected that the nickname – The Big Boss – could have originated from sports Journalists who often admired the gusto with which he mentored and organized his mates in the similitude of a coach. Hence, in 1989 after a four-year interregnum, during the 1990 qualifiers, the duo of Henry Nwosu and Peter Rufai filed in for Stephen Keshi in his absence and in good faith, as a substantive Captain of the Super Eagles. This was after a sterling performance against Angola in which Keshi scored the equalizer that leveled scores at 2-2.

“He is the Boss. Whenever he comes into the dressing room…, the aura…his presence… his personality would communicate to you that he is the Boss.”  —–Vincent Enyama

During this period, a robust relationship thrived between Stephen Keshi and the Dutchman who naturally trusted Keshi’s professional judgments on virtually all issues. As a team Captain with international experiences in contemporary football then, it was never difficult for Clement Westerhof communicating his intentions through Keshi to his team mates who rallied round him as a worthy leader.

Much later in his soaring career, Keshi admitted the great influences and inspirations from Christian Chukwu, his predecessor and Terry Cooper, the England legend respectively, on his unique overlapping-defensive style of play.

Unarguably, Keshi emerged an enigmatic and inspiring leader as have been variously attested to by his contemporaries, both in his playing days and as a coach. On his physique, Keshi stood at 6+ feet with a compelling presence of character and enterprising spirit. These qualities naturally made it possible for his team mates and younger players to see him as a mentor of sort. With such chemistry and synergy among team mates growing by the day, it made more sense for Westerhof to rely more on Keshi’s objective judgment for a balanced team spirit.

By the same token, Keshi overtime entrenched himself so much in the team that Westerhof would not play any player until there was a nod from Keshi. Soon, this chemistry became result-oriented, as the Dutchman would jocularly tell his boys to get clearance from ‘your boss’ before his final confirmation. Thus Keshi, around the team was always fondly referred to as ‘the Big Boss’ and it caught on through subsequent generations.

Speaking on the same subject, Vincent Enyiamah, a Nigerian international and a dependable world class goal keeper, submitted that you cannot but give it to him. “He is the Boss. Whenever he comes into the dressing room…, the aura…his presence… his personality would communicate to you that he is the Boss.”

KESHI THE PATRIOT:

“We have over one-hundred and fifty million people waiting for this Cup back home and you are here asking me if I think we can win this match…you think we are here to joke?”

Those were the words of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi in response to a question posed by the international press, ahead of the final show down between Nigeria and Burkina Faso in which Keshi made history as the second man ever to lift the coveted Trophy, both as a player and as a coach.

"As the captain of Eagles in our days keshi was more influential than any NFF PRESIDENT"—–Idah Peterside

Keshi had fifteen months earlier, inherited a Super Eagles team best described as the ‘Super Chicken’ as the team then had lost all the glories of a true Eagle. The team as a result of frequent poor outings and bickering among players, coaches and football authorities, had ceased to be a force to be reckoned with in African Football, hence no one gave them a chance. Consequently, Keshi through a touch of patriotism began rebuilding the some-worth tattered team ahead of the 2013 AFCON championship in the neighboring South Africa. Against all odds and frustrations mostly, from the football house, the job was done and Nigeria once again, bounced back to reckoning, contrary to predictions by book makers.

For Keshi then, the biggest battle was never against fellow African opponents in the field of play but against the evil-minded and never-mean-well gladiators in the football house. These men from onset, never believed in Keshi or in any other well-intentioned Nigerian that had the capacity to turn things around. It only took the courage of Stephen Keshi to ramble through the cold war and cantankerous interests that have continued to bedevil the football house till date. This group of leaders in the Glass house, once held the view that owing Keshi’s salaries was never a big deal as his allowances and goodwill from well-meaning Nigerians were enough to sustain him as a local coach.

That position lingered through the euphoria of AFCON success until Stephen Keshi, still basking in the exhilaration of his exploits threw in the towel and later changed his mind once again.

From the records, coaching the national team presents one of the greatest challenges to character and temperament of any patriot – not many can tolerate the monstrous might of the football house. Little wonder, a gentle and soft-spoken Sunday Olise in frustration, once described his critics as ‘insane’. The outburst was sequel to a medley of frustrations received from the glass house very early into his contract with the Nigerian Football Federation.

Stephen Keshi, being a wonderful patriot that he was, never lost his temper; and that he could not qualify Nigeria for a subsequent AFCON final was a direct fallout of the skirmishes at the football house then. While serious-minded nations were going back to the drawing board after the 2013 Nations cup finals, mindless squabbles were being hatched daily at the football house, hence, drowning every calls for sound reasoning ahead of upcoming engagements. The resultant effect was glaring; Nigeria losing the opportunity to defend the cup it fought very hard to win the previous year. Expectedly, Coach Stephen Keshi once again, carried the can. A patriot paying for the sins of his unpatriotic lords, you may say!  

KESHI THE BUSINNESS MAN:

Unarguably, what is today known as ‘Tokunbo’ business was the brain-child of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. He single-handedly pioneered the business which was originally referred to as “Belgium” and has continued to provide employment opportunities to thousands of Nigerians across age range with estimated value put at billions of Naira in yearly turnover.

In the early 90s, as a Nigerian International playing in Belgium, Keshi would ahead of his national engagement ship down fairly-used cars to be sold within the brief period he would be in Nigeria and fly back to his Belgium base leaving behind, some fat cash in his local bank accounts. Unlike some of his colleagues who then preferred to be pampered and chauffeur-driven in FGN branded vehicles, Keshi devised a very ingenius way of making extra cash aside from the match bonuses and allowances readily attached to his invitation to play for his father land. This business which was later to be known as ‘Tokunbor’ soon caught on like wild fire with more operatives travelling directly to Europe to source fairly used household-items in addition to used cars.

"Very sad to hear about Stephen Keshi passing away,condolences to his family..An absolute gentleman off the field and a fantastic player..RIP"—–Mark Fish

Today, depending on the degree of soundness and condition preferred, ‘tokunbor’ has grown to become an umbrella term for fairly-used quality items cutting across all product range. Beyond football artistry, this was one of the biggest legacies left behind by this great man who has gone to join his beloved wife, less than six months of parting by death.

KESHI THE FAMILY MAN:

At a very tender age of 21, keshi got married to his hearthrob, Kate with Peter Rufai serving as the best man. Since then, this woman from Edo State remained a source of inspiration to Keshi until she passed on in December 2015. She finally bowed to death after a long battle with cancer. Keshi had at various times told whoever cared to listen, how much his family meant to him with no apologies. In one of his conversations with Peterside Idah, a one-time Nigerian international, Keshi revealed how he narrowly escaped some unethical harassment from a white lady by bluntly telling her within the encounter “… I am married,…I love my wife”. Many men in his shoes would not have mustered enough courage to wriggle out of that situation but this man with a big heart did the needful and kept his family intact when it mattered most.

The relationship with Kate produced five children till death did them part in December 2015. Since then, Keshi had tried to carry on but life had never been the same. Like he confided in his friend of many years, Mitchell Obi, a veteran sports journalist, life had been tough living without Kate. Mitchell Obi, a close confidant of Keshi confirmed that Keshi actually did that fateful trip to Edo state with just one thing in mind; to beautify the wife’s graveside after some months of mourning. According to Mitchell Obi, Keshi could have died as a result of excessive emotional outburst for the woman he had sworn to be with all the days of his life. Speaking on a live radio broadcast, Mitchell Obi with an emotion-laden tone described Keshi’s untimely exit as ‘a love story’. Keshi lost it less than six months after Kate’s and preferred to join the beloved wife in death.

"Woke up to the sad news of the passing of my brother Stephen Keshi. I can't believe it. I am in shock . Football legend. RIP> —–Kalumsha Bwalya

As the football community and the world over mourn the legend of African football, the question on the lips of many is; what on earth would be enough to immortalize the virtues of this great man who gave so much to his generation?

As efforts are intensified to set him on a final journey to Illah from the 27th of July, 2016, you can make your suggestions on how well you feel the exploits of this great man should be communicated to posterity.

First-time visitors to Illah can fly to Asaba international airport and commence a less-than-twenty-minutes drive to Illah by road. From Lagos by road, Illah can be easily accessed via Issele Uku or through Asaba, the Delta State capital. Also from Abuja by road, visitors can use the Auchi-ikene express way and navigate through the Uromi-Utor bridge to inward Illah.

While at it, let it be noted that Illah is one of the key communities in Delta State classified as ‘Delta Ibo’or ndi Anioma. Located off the stretch of Asaba-Onitsha express way, Illah is also home to late Samuel Dumebi Okonta, a corps member who paid the supreme price in the heat of rerun elections in Port Harcourt, Rivers State earlier in the year. Moreso, Illah is peaceful and welcoming and home to lots of other notable professionals who have continued to contribute very positively to the economic development of Nigeria over the years.

Once again, Goodnight: The Big Boss!!!

*Patrick Ezeh writes from London