Skip to main content

Keshi was a super hero – Pinnick

Stephen Keshi's corpse arrive Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin

Stephen Keshi’s corpse arrive Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

‎Burial activities of the late Chief Coach ‎of the Super Eagles, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, began on Thursday with a funeral mass held at St. Paul Catholic Church, Airport road, Benin, Edo State.

His remains were brought to the church in a black Mercedes-Benz ambulance, accompanied by his children, family members and friends.

In his homily, the officiating priest, Very Rev. Fr. Richard Ofere, said that Keshi lived an exemplary live as a member of the parish, where he contributed selflessly to the development of football, adding that the late football icon was always willing to serve, even in the midst of scarce resources.

Ofere who harped on the need to believe in the resurrection, noted that death was not the end of the life of a true Christian.

He stressed that righteousness and true worship of God were prerequisites for Christians who desire to see God.
‎‎
Following the church service was a novelty football match o‎rganised in honour of the late Nigeria international, at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin.

His body arrived at the stadium at about 11.50 a.m., accompanied by his children and other family members‎, and was received by President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, Chairman of Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, Philip Shaibu, a member of the Federal House of Representatives and others.

Children and relations of the Late Stephen Keshi at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City. On the right s the NFF President Amaju Pinnick

Children and relations of the Late Stephen Keshi at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City. On the right s the NFF President Amaju Pinnick

Pinnick who led the NFF delegation to the ceremony, described Keshi as a “super hero” who was renowned for doing the extraordinary.

“I have always described him as a super hero because he was a super hero. He did not do things that were regular, he did things that were extraordinary,” he said.

The NFF President disclosed that the Federation would honour the late football icon, adding, “That (honour) is definitely going to be done.”

The novelty match between ex-internationals and all stars, ended in 1-1 draw.

Among the late Keshi’s team mates on the pitch were Austin Eguavonen, Uche Okechukwu, aka Gentle Giant, Mutiu Adepoju, Victor Ikpeba, Peter Rufai and others.

His body was later moved to Asaba, the Delta State Capital, for a lying-in-state‎ and tributes at the indoor hall of the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

‎It would be recalled that Keshi died in the night of June 7 in Benin at the age of 54.‎ He was one of the only two to have won the African Cup of Nations both as a player and as a coach in 1994 and 2013.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...