Stephen Keshi

Infobox Football biography
playername = Stephen Keshi


fullname = Stephen Keshi
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1962|1|31|df=yes
cityofbirth = Lagos
countryofbirth = Nigeria
height =
position = Defender
currentclub = Mali
clubnumber = Manager
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1979
1980–1984
1985
1986
1986–1987
1987–1991
1991–1993
1993–1994
1995
1996
1997
clubs = ACB Lagos
New Nigeria Bank
Stade d'Abidjan
Africa Sports
Lokeren
Anderlecht
RC Strasbourg
Molenbeek
CCV Hydra
Sacramento Scorpions
Perlis FA
caps(goals) =
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 2004–2006
2007
2008–
managerclubs = Togo
Togo
Mali

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (born January 31, 1962 in Lagos) is a former football defender from Nigeria.

Playing career

An important player for Nigeria, Keshi was "Skipper" of the squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and played in five different African Nations Cup tournaments, helping to win the 1994 African Nations Cup.

His last club was Perlis in Malaysia. In 2000 a testimonial match was arranged for him in Lagos.

Coaching career

After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching.

In 1996 he was joined by Augustine Eguavoen, who presently coaches the Nigerian national team. They played together in California as the backbone of the defense for the short lived Sacramento Scorpions. Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2004 Olympic soccer tournament.

Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, unexpectedly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo's unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach Otto Pfister prior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the tournament stage in 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial World Cup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February 2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time a friendly against Cameroon.

He is currently manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/7325571.stm|title=Keshi opts for Mali national team|accessdate-2008-04-06|date-2008-04-02|publisher=BBC]

External references

* [http://www.nigerianplayers.com/player.asp?pID=253 Nigerian Players]

References