Nigerian Football Fans In Deep Mourning After Amodu Shuaibu Death


Nigerian Football is in deep mourning after the news circling the demise of Amodu Shaibu, the former coach of the Super Eagles. He was just 58 years of age when he passed away.

Sources say that former coach Amodu complained of the chest pain on Friday night and died in his sleep. He was discovered dead about 4 a.m. this morning.

“That is correct,” said NFF secretary general Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, who confirmed the passing of Amodu. “He sleeps and he could not wake up.”

He was appointed to manage the Super Eagles between 1998 and 1999, 2001 and 2002, and 2008 and 2010. His death came three days after another former Super Eagle coach, Stephen Keshi, passed away on June 8.

Confirming the news, NFF tweeted from their official Twitter handle, “NFF Technical Director, Amodu Shuaibu has died at the age of 58.”

Late Amodu has contributed greatly in his tenure for the development of football in Nigeria. Under his guidance and coaching, Nigeria qualified for the 2010 world cup, which was hosted in South Africa. The Nigerian team grabbed third place in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nation, which was held in Angola.

Despite the team’s incredible finish in the Africa’s Cup of Nations, Amodu was sacked. But the highly-experienced Amodu called for calmness ahead of next month’s crucial qualifiers.

“Let us all be modest in our expectations so that we do not put ourselves under undue pressure.”

Four-time coach Shuaibu was appointed as head coach of the Nigerian national side in April 2008 and was sacked on February 6, 2010. He was demoted to serve as the coach of the Nigerian home-based Eagles.

During his tenure, he won Nigerian FA cup titles with BCC lions of Gboko and El Kanemi. He was elevated to the head of the NFF technical department in May 2013. In the same year in November, he was named the technical director of Bendel Insurance FC.

After Amodu was appointed the technical director of Nigeria’s national team in 2013, he said, “It’s a call to serve the nation. I hope we can all come together and drive our football in a positive direction.”

He added, “The role is an important one as it serves as the fundamental for the country’s football. We need the support of everyone to excel.”

He would always be remembered for guiding BCC Lions to win the 1990 African Cup Winners Cup, which is now known as Caf Confederation Cup, and also for guiding the Nigerian men’s national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals after it looked impossible to qualify ahead of the poor start to the qualifying phase in Africa.

Born in 1958, his career ended shortly after he broke his leg. Before the injury, he played as a striker for Dumez and Niger Tornadoes.

The Nigeria Football Federation is in deep sorrow and mourning over the tragic loss. Shuaibu was the most criticized coach, yet he never gave up on the development of Nigerian Football. He always managed to deliver.

During the time when Keshi got sacked for his “lack of commitment,” Shuaibu was appointed to coach the national team.

Many people believed it was the right call at the right time. However, others criticized the NFF for waiting long before taking a decision on the matter.

Despite guiding Nigeria to the semi-finals, he was highly criticized for his role. He was questioned for his team’s style of play, his tactics and key decisions on and off the pitch. With so much of criticism all around, he contributed his quota to the development of football in Nigeria whole-heartedly.

The loss of two renowned coaches in such a short span is surely tragic news for the Nigerian people and football enthusiasts. Social media is now grieving for his death, with tweets pouring in from all over the globe with all the prayers and respect for what he had done over the years.

[Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images]

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