Former Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Oliseh has praised the late Nigerian football legend, Stephen Keshi as the nation’s first genuine superstar.
Oliseh also commended Keshi’s leadership, professionalism and significant impact both on and off the field.
The late former coach, Keshi, enjoyed a remarkable playing career, which included time in Nigeria with ACB and New Nigerian Bank, as well as international experiences with Stade d’Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, and Strasbourg, among others.
Keshi became the first Nigerian footballer to participate in a major UEFA club competition final, playing the entire match as Gianluca Vialli-led Sampdoria triumphed over Anderlecht 2–0 in the 1990 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
On the international front, he took part in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1984 and 1988, and was a member of the victorious 1994 Super Eagles team, although he did not play in the final.
Oliseh emphasized that there was never any question regarding Keshi’s capabilities, pointing out that his performances were self-evident and propelled him to legendary status.
“He led by example. If they said everyone had to wear a green shirt, he would wear a green shirt. He was disciplined, and that was the kind of person he was; he was a winner,” Oliseh remarked on the Global Football Insights
“He was a man who made it clear to everyone that he had a family to support and wanted to earn money, and if you were not participating, I would lose money. That was how Keshi operated.
“We never questioned his quality as a player because you could see how he performed. This man was the first superstar of Nigerian football.
“At one point, even when Nigeria participated in the Nations Cup, Keshi would fly in from Belgium to the AFCON, play, and then return to his club after the match.
“That was how significant his personality was, and Nigeria was supporting it; otherwise, you wouldn’t have your best player participating.
“We all saw that as kids watching television so we knew that this was a superstar and his teammates accepted it,” he said.