Legendary Nigeria coach and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amodu Shuaibu has sadly passed on at the age of 58.
According to the NFF, Amodu died in his sleep having complained of chest pains on Friday night.
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.
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 as 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, reports Goal.
Amodu managed the senior team different times, the first being after the exit of Clemens Westerhof in 1994.
When Keshi was sacked in July 2015, Amodu took over until Sunday Oliseh was appointed.
According to The Cable, Frank Ilaboya, chairman of the Edo State Football Association, said Kassim Afegbua, Edo state commissioner for information, told him that the remains of the celebrated trainer had been deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City – incidentally the same facility where Keshi’s body is being kept.
Reacting Amaju Pinnick, NFF president, said: “This is another tragedy too many. We are still talking about Keshi’s death, and now Amodu is gone. I’m short of words.
“Amodu’s name was synonymous with the Super Eagles. You can’t talk about the history of Super Eagles without Amodu getting prominent chapters.”
While Keshi is yet to be buried, his own remains will be interred later in the day in accordance with Islamic rites.
While on his way to Amodu’s hometown of Okpella in Edo for the burial, Mohammed Sanusi, NFF secretary-general, said:”This is most shocking. We are yet to recover from the death of Stephen Keshi.”
Posted by Janice Johnson
