Former Super Eagles captain and coach Christian Chukwu died on Saturday at 74.
Chukwu had been sick for some time, but the cause of his death is unknown. Nigerians mourn the death of one of the greatest captains of the Super Eagles.
Former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami confirmed Christian Chukwu’s death on social media.
Odegbami wrote, “My chairman has passed on. “I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 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.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago!
“May ‘Onyim’ find peace with our Creator in Heaven and console his family.”
Chukwu was the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy after a 3–0 victory over Algeria in the final of the 1980 tournament in Lagos.
As a player, Chukwu captained the Nigerian national team, then known as the Green Eagles, between 1974 and 1980.
He was in the Nigerian squads that won the Africa Nations’ Cup in 1980 and finished runners-up in 1976 and 1978.
He also assisted Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof when Nigeria won a second AFCON title in 1994.
Chukwu coached Enugu Rangers to 6th place in the 2008–2009 edition of the Nigeria Premier League.
