Former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Oliseh has hailed late Nigerian football icon Stephen Keshi as the country's first true superstar, praising his leadership, professionalism and larger-than-life influence both on and off the pitch.
Keshi had a distinguished playing career, which included spells in his homeland with ACB and New Nigerian Bank, as well as stints abroad with Stade d'Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, and Strasbourg, among others.
A midfielder who later transitioned into central defence, Keshi became the first Nigerian footballer to feature in a major UEFA club competition final, playing the full match as Gianluca Vialli-inspired Sampdoria defeated Anderlecht 2–0 in the 1990 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
On the international stage, he appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1984 and 1988, and was part of the victorious 1994 Super Eagles squad, although he remained an unused substitute in the final.
Oliseh stressed that there was never any doubt about Keshi's ability, noting that his performances spoke for themselves and elevated him to legendary status.
"He led by example. If they say everybody has to wear green shirt he would wear green shirt. He was disciplined and that was the kind of person he was, he was a winner," Oliseh said on the
Global Football Insights with Oliseh podcast.
"He was a man that made it clear to everybody that he has a family to feed and I want to earn money, and if you are not participating I will lose money. So that was how Keshi acted.
"We didn't doubt his quality as a player because you saw how he played. This man was the first superstar of Nigerian football.
"At one point, even when Nigeria went for the Nations Cup, Keshi will be flying in from Belgium into the AFCON, play and go back to play for his club after the game.
"That was how huge his personality was, and Nigeria was funding it, otherwise you didn't have your best player playing."
Oliseh noted that Keshi was widely recognised during his playing days, particularly by younger teammates who grew up watching him play on television.
"We all saw that as kids watching television so we knew that this was a superstar and his teammates accepted it."
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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