By Akinwale Fasemore, Esq
Nigeria and Africa football lovers all around the globe had their heartbroken when the untimely death of the former Captain and Head Coach of the Nigeria National team was announced.
It is four years after the demise of the gentle giant fondly called The Boss, by his ardent fans.
Stephen Keshi in his hay days was among the first known Nigerian and African breed to ply his trade in Europe, before the foray of other stars into the European football circle.
He was unceremoniously removed as the Head Coach of the Nigeria Super Eagles after winning the 2013 AFCON and becoming the first to win the same as a Captain in 1994 and as a coach in 2013.
The sacrifice and loyalty showed by The Boss, to the development of Talents and football in Nigeria and Africa as a whole cannot be measured, his approach to evolving home base players to project their talents and to cushion the excesses of the European based players was commended trans-nationally.
It’s respectable to note that Stephen Okechuckwu Keshi gave the likes of Sunday Mba, Godfrey Oboabona, and the rest of the home-based players that made the team to 2013 AFCON the opportunity to showcase their capacities.
Unhappily, four years after the demise of this great Nigeria Patriot, who sacrificed his all to put a smile on the faces of Nigerians; since sports, especially football, unite Nigerians. Nothing worthy of note has been done by both the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation to show appreciation to the heroic existence of Stephen Keshi.
There is no National honor named after him or a sculpture built to eternalize his memory.
This unpatriotic approach by the Nigeria Government hence discourages patriotic Nigerian citizens from putting in their very best in developing, supporting the advancement of sports in Nigeria.