Nigerian football icon Stephen “Big Boss” Keshi was on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 honoured by Google on what would have been his 56th birthday.
The search engine changed its logo in Nigeria Tuesday to an illustration of the legendary sports star. Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and coach. But the later part of his career was described as turbulent by some after quitting over unpaid wages and later being sacked.
This is his story: Big boss Born in Azare, Nigeria in 1962, Keshi started his football career as a defender, and was among the first Nigerians to play professional football abroad. He developed his career and passion in mainly Belgian clubs. He was later educated in the US as a coach.
He was known as the “Big Boss” because of his leadership drive. He played for the Nigerian National team at the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, where he took home the title in 1994. In 2006, Keshi, as manager, led Togo to qualify for its first FIFA World Cup.
But he left the team before the tournament and was replaced by Otto Pfister.
He began coaching the national team of his native Nigeria and led the team to victory at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, becoming one of only two people to win the tournament as both a player and a coach.