The hands of death have suddenly make the house of football it’s abode. Barely 3 days to the death of former Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi, another coach of the Nigerian national team- Shuaibu Amodu is also dead.
The burial arrangement of Stephen Keshi is yet to be finalized and announced, and we have this.
This is really a sad time for Nigeria football, losing two prominent and accomplished coaches in space of three days. Ironically, both coaches are from Edo state.
The Nigerian house of football is clouded and coloured in sorrow as amiable former coach of Super Eagles passed on after protracted illness.
The sad news of the demise of the renowned tactician is coming few days after the death of the former captain and gaffer of the Nigeria national team.
Amodu Shaibu, who was a four-time coach of the Nigeria national team, he was offered the job for the fifth time after the sacking of Sunday Oliseh, but he declined due to I’ll health. Amodu qualified the Super Eagles twice to the world Cup- 2002 and 2010. He was sacked on both occasions before the mndial. Ironically, the two dead coaches hail from Edo.
Amodu, 58 passed away in his sleep on Friday night.
Amodu, who is the National Technical Director by the Nigeria Football Federation in October 2014, complained of chest pains on Friday night, and did not wake up on Saturday.
Edo State Football Association Chairman, Frank Ilaboya, said that he had been informed by the Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, that the remains of the celebrated trainer had been deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City.
Incidentally, that happened to be the same facility where the late Keshi’s remains are kept.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick was devastated:
“This is another tragedy too many. We are still talking about Keshi’s death, and now Amodu is gone. I’m short of words.”
Amodu Shuaibu, is arguably one of the brightest coaches that Nigeria has ever produced, he first took charge of the Super Eagles at the age of 36, following the departure of Dutchman Clemens Westerhorf after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup in the USA in 1994.
His first match with the Eagles was the famous ‘Wembley Friendly’ in which Nigeria impressed but lost 0-1 to England’s Three Lions.
Shuaibu Amodu’s football career started as a striker, he played for Dumez FC and Niger Tornadoes FC. His playing career ended after he broke his leg.
Amodu’s coaching potential was evident during his time at the BCC Lions of Gboko in the late 80’s, there he helped the club to challenge the perennial dominance of the big clubs then – Rangers FC, Abiola Babes, Leventis United and Inwayanwu FC. He later went on to manage a number of club sides in Nigeria, such as BCC Lions, El-Kanemi Warriors, and Shooting Stars; including coaching stints at Orlando Pirates in South Africa.
