The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed profound grief over the death of Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu, the iconic former captain of Nigeria’s victorious 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad and one-time head coach of the national team.
Chukwu passed away on Saturday in his hometown of Enugu.
Reacting to the news, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said: “We have lost a great and noble man. Christian Chukwu was the epitome of dedication, strength, and discipline both on and off the pitch.
His nickname ‘Chairman’ was well-earned—he stood as a pillar of leadership, vision, and resilience. We pray the Almighty grants him eternal rest and comforts his family, friends, and the entire Nigerian football community during this difficult time.”
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Chukwu’s impact on Nigerian football spanned decades.
As a player, he was instrumental in securing bronze medals for the Super Eagles at the 1976 and 1978 AFCON tournaments, before captaining the team to their historic AFCON title win on home soil in 1980—a tournament where he was also named Player of the Tournament.
Born on January 4, 1951, Chukwu devoted his playing career to Enugu Rangers, a club he later managed. Beyond Nigeria, he also coached the Kenyan national team, the Harambee Stars, before returning to take the helm of the Super Eagles in 2002. Under his leadership, Nigeria secured a third-place finish at the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia.
His death comes just 20 days after the 45th anniversary of Nigeria’s first AFCON triumph. Chukwu now joins a list of late teammates from the 1980 squad, including goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Okechukwu Isima and Tunde Bamidele, midfielders Aloysius Atuegbu and Mudashiru Lawal, and striker Martins Eyo.
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