Former Super Eagles captain and coach Christian Chukwu passed away early Saturday morning at the Niger Foundation Hospital in Enugu State. The Nigerian football icon, affectionately known as “Chairman” throughout the football community, was 74 years old.
The news was first shared by his former teammate, Segun Odegbami, on social media. “My Chairman has passed on. This morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s football history, former captain and coach of Nigeria’s national football team, has passed on,” wrote Odegbami, who won the 1980 Africa Nations Cup alongside Chukwu.
Born January 4, 1951, in the Obe community in Enugu State’s Nkanu West Local Government Area, Chukwu had an illustrious career in Nigerian football. He captained the national team, then called the Green Eagles, from 1974 to 1980, leading them to Nigeria’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 after runner-up finishes in 1976 and 1978.
His club success was equally impressive, having led Enugu Rangers FC to victory in the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1977. Chukwu’s contributions to Nigerian football continued beyond his playing days, serving as assistant coach for the Golden Eaglets team that won the FIFA U16 World Cup in China in 1985 and for the celebrated 1994 Super Eagles squad that qualified Nigeria for its first FIFA World Cup.
Chukwu’s coaching career included stints with the Kenya national team beginning in October 1998 and the Nigerian national team from 2003 to 2005. As Nigeria’s head coach, he led the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia before being dismissed in June 2005 during World Cup qualification.
Most recently, Chukwu served as Enugu Rangers’ General Manager and Chief Executive Officer under former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. His contributions to Nigerian football were recognised with the national honour Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
In 2019, Chukwu battled prostate cancer, which led to a public fundraising campaign for his medical treatment. Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola ultimately contributed $50,000 for Chukwu’s treatment in the United Kingdom, with the cheque presented in Enugu in the presence of then-governor Ugwuanyi and former NFF Chairman Amaju Pinnick.
In a tragic coincidence, another member of the 1980 AFCON-winning squad, Charles Bassey, also died on Saturday at age 71 in Eket, Akwa Ibom, following a prolonged illness, according to Daily Post. Bassey enjoyed a successful post-playing career as a coach with several Nigerian clubs, including Calabar Rovers, Wikki Tourists, and Akwa United.
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