Tunde Folawiyo

As Nigeria’s Super Eagles embark on another thrilling World Cup campaign, the spotlight is steadily focused on coach Stephen Keshi. The manager has held the reins of the team since 2011, leading them towards victory on football fields throughout the world. Fans of the Super Eagles, like Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others across Nigeria and beyond, may be inspired by the career of Stephen Keshi and its collective impact upon the history of Nigerian football.

Born in Azare, Nigeria, on 23 January 1962, Keshi once played the position of defender during his days as a professional footballer. In 1996, he joined others like Augustine Eguavoen to play for the Sacramento Scorpions of California, a short-lived team that saw Keshi play an integral role in defence. After a career playing with a variety of Belgian clubs, a determined Keshi travelled to the US to learn the art of  coaching. He was long part of Nigeria’s coaching staff before his official start as manager, as he served as the head coach of the country’s Junior Eagles during the African Youth Championships of 2001.

Between 2004 and 2006, Keshi led Togo’s national football squad to their debut World Cup appearance in Germany. He was then replaced by Otto Pfister, a German coach, once the team’s qualification was secure. After a near players’ strike and an unfortunate World Cup qualifying campaign, Pfister departed, leaving Togo without a manager until February 2007. It was then that they again approached Keshi to lead the team in a friendly match against Cameroon.

After working as manager for Mali’s national football squad in an appointment which began in April 2008, Keshi was dismissed in January 2010 after the team’s early exit during the group stages of Africa’s Cup of Nations. In 2011, he was appointed as coach of Nigeria’s national team, leading the country to qualification for 2013’s Africa Cup of Nations. With a 1-0 defeat over Burkina Faso, the Super Eagles won the final, demonstrating Keshi’s outstanding leadership on the field.

The team’s participation in Brazil’s World Cup this summer brings an opportunity for Keshi to further prove his worth as one of the greatest coaches ever to steer the Super Eagles. Fans of Nigerian football, like Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout Africa, may regard Stephen Keshi as one of the sport’s most significant figures.