Nigeria Mourns Football Legend Christian Chukwu, Dead At 74

‎Enugu Rangers and Nigeria legend Christian Chukwu has died at the age of 74, his family have confirmed.

‎The former center-back led the Green Eagles (now known as the Super Eagles) to their first Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1980.

‎Before that landmark achievement, Chukwu was also a member of the Nigerian squad that secured third place in the 1976 and 1978 tournaments held in Ethiopia and Ghana, respectively.

‎Aside from his international exploit, he remains one of the greatest players to have featured in the Nigeria Professional Football League, only playing for boyhood club Enugu Rangers between 1972 and 1981.

‎During his successful time with the Flying Antelopes, he won four league titles and four FA Cup titles, along with various individual accolades.

‎He played a pivotal role in guiding the team to victory in the 1977 African Cup Winners’ Cup. In the final, the Enugu-based club triumphed over Cameroon’s Canon Yaoundé.

‎Chukwu replaced Abdul Majid as head coach of the Kenyan senior national team in 1998; however, after an unsuccessful spell, he returned to Nigeria.

‎Five years later, he was appointed as the coach of the Super Eagles in 2003, leading the team to a third-place finish at the 2004 AFCON.

‎However, he was suspended indefinitely in 2005 during the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

‎His former international teammate, Segun Odegbami, took to social media to express his sorrow over the loss of his “bosom friend.”

‎“Breaking News!! 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,” he wrote on X.

‎The legendary Chukwu had battled severe health issues in recent years, with billionaire Femi Otedola once offsetting his medical bills during his trip to the United States.