Another former Super Eagles coach Amodu Shuaibu is dead

Amodu Shuaibu who qualified the Super Eagles for the 2002 and 2010 Fifa World Cups has passed on at the age of 58 having complained of chest pain on Friday night.


According to the Nigerian Football Federation NFF the legendary Nigeria coach and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation died in his sleep having complained of chest pains on Friday night.

Mr. Afegbua, a cousin of the late coach, spoke to journalists at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, where Mr. Amodu’s body was taken to before a final journey to his home town, Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“We were together yesterday. He came to my house in the morning and we were discussing. He told me he would be travelling to Okpella this morning (Saturday.) Later in the day, he was at the police station to see one of the family members who was arrested,” Mr. Afegbua said.

“Later in the night, he only complained of chest pain, and we called a doctor to check his blood pressure and it was 140 over 100. He was advised to take his drugs and also to stop participation in the Ramadan fasting.”

“He later led the Tarawih (Muslim fasting prayer) for the family. And after the prayer, he went to bed after eating.

“He was discovered dead in his room at about 4am this morning when they went to wake him up for the (Suhur) Morning Prayer,” Mr. Afegbua explained.

Read: Stephen Keshi died with a broken heart 

The four-time Super Eagles handler won the Federation Cup titles with Gboko’s BBC Lions and El Kanemi Warriors before a short spell with South Africa's Orlando Pirates.

Following the sack of Dutchman Bonfrere Jo in the middle of the country's 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, Amodu was called upon and he qualified Nigeria for the competition staged in South Korea and Japan but was shown the exit door after leading the Super Eagles to a third place finish at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali.

Read: Edo State FA describes Keshi's death as devastating 

On April 10, 2008, he was name head coach of the country’s senior national team alongside Daniel Amokachi, Alloy Agu and Fatai Amoo with the task of qualifying the country for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa. Again, he was fired after the Super Eagles settled for bronze at the 2010 Afcon in Angola.

And in May 2013, he was appointed technical director of Nigeria’s national teams.
His demise comes three days after the death of Stephen Keshi who was his assistant coach at the 2002 Afcon in Mali.