By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, has passed away at the age of 74.
The New Diplomat gathered that Chukwu died earlier today, though details surrounding his death remain sketchy at the time of filing this report.
Chukwu was a household name in the Nigerian football history having played for Enugu Rangers, a team he later coached.
His longtime teammate and friend, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami, confirmed the development in a post via his official X handle on Saturday.
Odegbami, who won the 1980 Africa Nation Cup with Chukwu, wrote, “My Chairman has passed on. This morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s football history, former captain and coach of Nigeria’s national football team, has passed on.”
Chukwu captained the national team to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 and later led the Super Eagles as head coach in the early 2000s.
In 2021, false reports of Chukwu’s death had circulated widely, prompting the legendary coach to refute the rumors during his 70th birthday celebration on January 4, 2021.
Reacting then, Chukwu said: “I am terribly embarrassed with this news that I am dead. Several people have been calling me from across the world since the news broke. I am still investigating the source of the story.”
Chukwu in his lifetime was affectionately known as “Chairman,” a nickname given to him by the late eloquent Nigerian commentator, Ernest Okonkwo.
Okonkwo, who in death, has been likened to the the English commentator, Peter Drury for his poetic rendition of proceedings on the football pitch also named Odegbami, “Mathematical”.
Chukwu was a prominent figure in Nigerian football — both as a player and as a coach.
His legacy in the sport remains significant.
