Stephen Keshi: Breaker of Two Opposing Records…

Stephen Keshi

He emerged as the first Nigerian and the second African to win the Africa Cup of Nations, as both a player and coach. He first lifted the trophy as a player in April 1994 in Tunisia and last year, 19 years later, in South Africa he won the cup as a manager. Sunday Mba scored the only goal as the Super Eagles beat the Burkinabe team in the final.

But Keshi also went into the record books as the first coach to lead Nigeria to its first home defeat in 32 years as could not repeat the feat  of 2013 in 2014. A 2015 Nations’ Cup qualifying group that had Nigeria, South Africa, Congo and Sudan should ordinarily be seen as a walk-over for the Super Eagles. But that was on paper. Nigeria had its first game at home and, surprisingly, lost to Congo 2-3 in Calabar. Away to South Africa in the next game, it was a drab 0-0. Next,    the Super Eagles travelled to Sudan and the Sudanese inflicted on Nigeria their first defeat on Nigeria in 40 years.

They gave themselves a glimmer of hope when they defeated Sudan in the reverse feature in Abuja and also went to Congo to do the most difficult part of the job: defeating Congo in Pointe Noire. But when it mattered most, the Super Eagles fumbled. All they needed was to match the result of Congo as they travelled to Omdurman to play Sudan. But it went terribly bad for the Super Eagles as the Bafana Bafana ran into a two-goal lead. Though they rallied round and ended the game at 2-2, but it was fruitless as the Congolese beat the Sudanese by a lone goal to grab the second place in the group and qualify for Equatorial Guinea 2015.

Keshi also led the team to Brazil 2014 where they reached the second round. But what will stand Keshi out in the soccer hall of infamy as far as 2014 is concerned is that he started the year a much loved coach but will be ending it as a coach that many are wondering what he is still doing on the seat.