The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.

The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.

“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.

“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.

Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.

He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.

Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.

In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.

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Led by Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, the Clerk of the Senate of NANS, the students condemned the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), describing the appointment as a disappointment to Nigerians and football enthusiasts. They called for its immediate reversal, threatening to embark on a nationwide protest to press home their demands.

Addressing the gathering, Odunayo criticized the NFF’s decision, arguing it undermined the pool of coaching talent within Nigeria. He stressed that the Super Eagles deserve a tactically sound coach capable of harnessing the nation’s abundant football talent.

“We are gathered here today to address an issue that has not only baffled us but has also drawn widespread disapproval from Nigerian students and sports enthusiasts alike,” Odunayo stated.

“On behalf of the National Association of Nigerian Students, I, Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, Clerk of the Senate of NANS National Headquarters, wish to categorically express our displeasure over the appointment of Eric Sekou Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.

“This appointment, as announced by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is not only unacceptable but also a slap in the face of our nation’s abundant pool of local coaching talent. Consequently, NANS, as the voice of the Nigerian students, is compelled to organize a national protest to demand a reversal of this decision.”

The NFF had confirmed the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as the head coach of the Super Eagles on Tuesday. Chelle, who has previously managed clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran, was also head coach of Mali’s Aiglons until his dismissal in June 2024.

The NFF tasked Chelle with guiding the Super Eagles to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. With crucial qualification matches slated for March, his appointment is already generating controversy across the football-loving nation.

As the protests intensify, the NFF is yet to respond to the demands of NANS, leaving the future of the Super Eagles’ coaching leadership in uncertainty.

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

The decision followed a recommendation by the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee at its meeting in Abuja on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

The recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, as revealed on the federation’s official website.

Chelle’s appointment takes immediate effect, with his primary mandate being to guide the Super Eagles to secure a ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.

The team is set to face critical Matchday 5 and 6 qualifiers in March 2025.

A former international player for Mali, Chelle earned five caps for the Aiglons and has an extensive coaching résumé. He has managed clubs including GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran. Chelle also served as Head Coach of Mali’s national team from 2022 until June 13, 2024, when his tenure came to an end.

The NFF is optimistic that Chelle’s wealth of experience and leadership will propel the Super Eagles to success on the global stage.

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.

This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.

Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.

Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.

With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.

Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.

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Gernot Rohr has criticised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for sacking him as the Super Eagles coach, adding that the team’s performance under him was not below expectations.

The German, who is Nigeria’s longest-serving coach, was fired earlier in the week following some unconvincing results with the 1994 African champions.

Rohr,  however faulted the move, insisting that he met all targets set by the NFF upon his appointment in 2016.

“It was not necessary to do this so close to AFCON,” he told ESPN, saying the team had chances to score more goals in their last two matches – against Sierra Leone and Cape Verde but were unlucky.

“After what the team did, and after what the team had achieved with [reaching] the targets… but it happened, and we are realistic people.”

According to coach, the Super Eagles had become better since he took charge, citing the team’s improved FIFA ranking.

Rohr said that he has built a reliable team since 2016 and tipped them for glory in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

“Everybody knows that we are close to the AFCON, and I think this team should win it because this team is built to win matches, important matches, decisive matches,” he added.

Beyond his sacking and the team’s performance, Rohr also refuted claims by the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, that he had lost the dressing room.

He claimed that the football body had been planning to sack him over a year ago. This, he said, was the reason they brought in Austin Eguavoen to become a part of his crew.

“The dressing room was 100% behind me,” Rohr noted and hoped that “it will also be 100% behind the new coach [Eguavoen]”.

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This was contained in a Thirty (30) years remembrance statement issued in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital by the late footballer’s wife, Mrs. Yetunde Muda-Lawal.

According to her, she remembers that day and days following, and how the entire country was united in their desire to pay him the last respect.

Describing ‘Shitu’ as her husband and best friend, Mrs. Lawal said he was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style and of nationalism. All over the country, he was a symbol of selfless humanity as he dedicated his life and career entirely to both Shooting Stars and the National Team – Green Eagles.

Eulogising the late soccer wizard, Lawal affirmed that the way he brightened his family lives, even though God granted him but half a life, they would all feel cheated always that he was taken away from them so young , but according to her, yet they must learn to be grateful that he came along at all.

While admitting that only since he was gone did they truly appreciate what they were  now without, the wife confessed that life without him had been very difficult.

Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal was born on June 8th, 1954. He had a blissful soccer career plying his trade majorly with Shooting Stars Football club of Ibadan and the Nigeria’s National Team, the Super Eagles.

Shortly after he hanged his boots in 1989, ‘Shitu’ was appointed the first Nigeria’s Soccer Ambassador by the Federal Government as a mark of the country’s appreciation for his dedication and contribution to the development of football in the Country.

Muda Lawal died on the 6th of  July, 1991 precisely 30 years ago at the age of 37 and was survived by his  wife, Yetunde and children, Olatunde, Bolanle, Bosede, Bisola and Oluwaseun.

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Gbadebo, a former Sports Director of the Students Union Government University of Ibadan was invited to the Super Eagles under the technical adviser Clemence Westerhof in 1990.

The Head Coach of Suphanburi FC, Thailand stated this while featuring as the guest of the month on Ex-University of Ibadan Footballers Association online platform.

The graduate of sociology from the premier university stated that although it is good to learn from the premier league, Nigeria has so much to learn about how better results are being achieved in countries like Thailand with little resources but fantastic soccer organisation when compared with so much resources with little results.

“I want to assure us that the Thailand Football has moved from the level where Nigerian football is at present. I have been in Thailand for two decades now so I saw the way they (Thailand) grew and I believe the best is yet to come because now Thailand is now competing among the best leagues in Asia. I think they are about number four. There are so many things Nigerian can learn: Is it about management style, or football association system of running the premier league or is it about the stadium and the facilities or the quality of the broadcasting which is at the level of what you can see in very top league all over the world including sponsorship process?. Its good to learn from Premier League but I think a country like Nigeria needs to take one step at a time sometimes to learn from countries that are doing better than them despite the fact that they have less resources than them.”

On if he will be interested in coaching the Super Eagles, the soccer tactician stated that while he is willing to work for his fatherland, coaching the Super Eagles must be backed up by needed logistics without which achieving results will be impossible.

“National team job is different from club job. Looking at my qualification as pro-licensed coach, I have no challenge or problem taking up a national team coach job. Talking about my country, it is an honour, I will be very proud to be a national coach of Nigeria or that of any nation that has what it takes to back it up. Its much more easier because you have the best players in a country and outside the country to work with. What you don’t have access to at club level you have at the country level if you can do your homework very well as a coach. I will also need to know what is on ground because football is not only about the coach; it takes also the interest of the management to back you up. Like in the club, the management needs to back me up with what is needed to achieve what they want. So it’s not only about giving somebody a national team job without giving them the right time, tools, the basic things like funds which must not be delayed. If they are in place, I am a proud Nigerian and I will love to be a national team coach of my country.”

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Baruwa, who opened up on his stint with the Oluyole Warriors while featuring
on BCOS TV sports programme ‘Weekend Sports’ also disclosed that 3SC infused new lease of life into his dying career.

According to the retired footballer, his career was going down when he joined the 3SC from Stationery Stores but his life was turned around in Ibadan.

The ex- Super Eagles goalie presently based in London, added the hospitality of 3SC fans and the encouragement he got from the club’s officials under late Taiwo Ogunjobi made him regained his confidence, and this resulted in his subsequent call-ups to the national teams at different grades.

“What many people didn’t know is that my career was in decline before I got to Shooting Stars, but the late Taiwo Ogunjobi took me in as a son and the fans showed me love. And that inspired me to churn out good performances for the team. Consequently I was called up to play for the Nigerian national teams at different levels”, Baruwa said on the sports programme he featured via Skype.

“Because of the key role 3SC played in my football career, the club remain my darling team”, he added.

Expressing his dissatisfaction at the present plight of the club, the former 3SC goalkeeper encouraged its fans to keep supporting the club to enable it regain its top position.

Abiodun Baruwa, fondly called Omo Alhaja (Alhaja’s son) by Ibadan soccer fans, was part of the Shooting Stars team that slugged it out with Egyptian giants Zamalek at the CAF Champions League final in 1996 and was also a member of the Super Eagles squad to the France ’98 FIFA World Cup.

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It would be recalled that Rashidi Yekini passed away on May 4, 2012 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital at the age of 48.

“Today we remember one of the World’s most feared strikers of his time, Rashidi Yekini who passed on to glory on this day in 2012. May his soul continue to Rest In Peace,” the NFF wrote on its official Twitter handle.

Football Idol, Rashidi Yekini

Also, FIFA posted on its World Cup Twitter handle, Yekini’s celebration after netting Nigeria’s first goal in the competition in 1994, describing it as one of the most iconic goal jubilations in the tournament’s history.

“Rasheed Yekini produced one of the most iconic celebrations in #WorldCup history after scoring the @NGSuperEagles’ first-ever goal in the competition,” the football body tweeted.

“Africa sadly lost of its greatest-ever players #OnThisDay in 2012, but his legend will live on eternally.”

His former teammates, Mutiu Adepoju and a former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, reminisced their days playing together for the national team.

“8 years ago today,” Oliseh tweeted, “we lost Nigeria’s greatest striker of all time in Rashidi Yekini. May his blessed soul rest in peace.”

In a related development, Adepoju popularly addressed as the “Headmaster” in his playing days, recalled how Yekini rescued the team in difficult times.

According to a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle, he described playing alongside the former Vitoria Setubal goal poacher as an honour, adding that Yekini gave his all for the country.

“Whenever we seem down and defeated, you always conjure your magic wand and get us out of trouble with your goals,” he wrote. “It was never a dull moment with you in camp as everyone’s ribs would be cracked at your jokes.

“You were never a contentious person and you saw everyone as your brother not minding their backgrounds. I will never forget you, Nigerians will never forget you. Always in our hearts. Rest in peace king Rasheed Yekini. You were created to score goals and your class remains unmatched!”

Also commending, an ex-Ghanaian defender, Anthony Baffoe, the former Abiola Babes star was one of the continent’s most dreaded strikers.

Baffoe tweeted: “One of Africa’s most terrific strikers Rashidi Yekini -today marks his 8th year of leaving us. Continue resting in peace Rashidi.”

The late Yekini was born in Kaduna and began his football career in the Nigerian league where he featured for teams like Abiola Babes, Julius Berger, and Gateway.

His stint abroad saw him lining up for Africa Sports National of Ivory Coast from where he teamed up with Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal and emerged as Primeira Liga’s top scorer in the 1993–94 campaign.

He struck 21 times during that season and went ahead to play for Sporting Gijon, Olympiakos, and FC Zurich.

Yekini made his senior debut for Nigeria in 1984 and went on to net 37 goals in 58 matches – the highest so far in the country’s history – until his retirement after the 1998 World Cup.

At the Senegal 1992 and Tunisia 1994 AFCONs, he scored four and five goals respectively, to emerge as the top scorer. Yekini was a member of the Super Eagles side that played in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and also featured in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

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Dayo and Benjamin, as reliably gathered were kidnapped while coming back from their teams camp on Sunday following the suspension of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) due to the outbreak of the COVID-19.

Enyimba FC in a statement informed that the players were abducted along the Benin-Owo Expressway but three days after, they were released.

” GREAT BIG NEWS!” the club also tweeted on their verified handle. “Our midfielder man, Dayo Ojo has regained freedom from his kidnappers” the club tweeted.

Their release followed combined efforts from the Aba-based club and their families.

The duo have been reunited with their families, the club’s statement further explained.

Ojo has seven caps for the Super Eagles and featured at the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) were Nigeria placed second.

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