STEPHEN Okechukwu Keshi, coach of the Super Eagles, is on the verge of making a historic achievement today as he leads out his wards in a make or mar final and second leg World Cup play-off against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar. Read more after the cut.
Keshi, as a player, skippered the Eagles to win the African Cup of Nations held in Tunisia in 1994. He then captained the team to qualify Nigeria for her debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup held in USA also in 1994. A record no other Eagles skipper has since equalled.
Now as coach, Keshi has tutored the Eagles to win the 2013 African Cup of Nations early this year in South Africa and is just 90 minutes away from qualifying the team for the 2014 World Cup. If Keshi - expectedly - achieves that feat today, he would be setting another record as the first indigenous coach to win the Cup of Nations and also qualify Nigeria to play in a World Cup. By then, Keshi would have set two records which would make him the most successful skipper and coach of the Super Eagles. Only a few people have come close to achieving Keshi’s feat. Christian Chukwu skippered the Super Eagles to Nations Cup triumph in 1980 but was sacked as coach of the Eagles enroute Germany 2006 which the Eagles could not qualify for. Amodu Shaibu qualified Nigeria for the World Cup twice - Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010 but never skippered the Eagles. Joseph Yobo skippered the Eagles to the 2013 Nations Cup triumph but has since been absent from the Eagles team currently on the verge of picking a World Cup ticket. Keshi, go on and make history!
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