Ex-Eagles’ coach Shaibu Amodu dies 3 days after Keshi

Shaibu Amodu, former coach of the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 58.

A source told TheCable that the deceased, who was confirmed national technical director by the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), complained of chest pains on Friday night, and did not wake up on Saturday.

Amodu’s death comes three days after that of Stephen Keshi, also a former coach of Nigeria’s senior national team.

Keshi assisted Amodu at the 2002 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Mali.

Amodu managed the senior team different times, the first being after the exit of Clemens Westerhof in 1994.

When Keshi was sacked in July 2015, Amodu took over until Sunday Oliseh was appointed.

Frank Ilaboya, chairman of the Edo State Football Association, said Kassim Afegbua, Edo state commissioner for information, told him that the remains of the celebrated trainer had been deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City – incidentally the same facility where Keshi’s body is being kept.

Reacting Amaju Pinnick, NFF president, said: “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’s name was synonymous with the Super Eagles. You can’t talk about the history of Super Eagles without Amodu getting prominent chapters.”

While Keshi is yet to be buried, his own remains will be interred later in the day in accordance with Islamic rites.

While on his way to Amodu’s hometown of Okpella in Edo for the burial, Mohammed Sanusi, NFF secretary-general, said:”This is most shocking. We are yet to recover from the death of Stephen Keshi.”