NFF technical director, Amodu Shuaibu, dies at 58

The Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation and for, Amodu Shuaibu, has died at ‎the age of 58, four days after the death of a former coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi.

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Kassim Afegbua, who incidentally is a relative of the late Shuaibu, told our correspondent at the Stella Obasanjo hospital, where his corpse was deposited, that ‎the ex-Super Eagles coach died in his sleep at about 4am on Saturday at his residence in Benin, the Edo State capital.

“‎He was in my place yesterday. In the morning, we discussed about Keshi; we went to pay condolences on Thursday and we were just discussing about the euphemirality of life. 

“This morning, around 4:30am, they called me that Amodu is dead.So, I rushed here (hospital) and we saw lying there (mortuary) lifeless. It is quite shocking, so terrible,” Afegbua said.

Shuaibu, who hails from Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State and qualified the Super Eagles for the World Cup in 2002 and 2010, was said to have had cases of high blood pressure and had been advised by a medical doctor to stop fasting.

“A doctor actually took his BP (blood pressure) yesterday (Friday). He has been a BP patient; that is not in doubt. His BP was 140 to 100. So, he was told to stop fasting.‎

“He (Shuaibu) said ok, that if he gets to Okpella, he will pay some people to be fasting and all that,” the commissioner added.

The news of Shuaibu’s death threw the entire football community into another round mourning, especially as he had paid a condolence visit the family of the late Keshi and also signed the condolence register.

“The ‘Big Boss,’ you live good life and ran a good race. Adieu, my brother,”‎ he had written in Keshi’s condolence register.

Edo FA mourns, pays tribute

The Edo State Football Association has expressed shock over the death the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Secretary of the association, Emmanuel Ajibola, said that the FA was yet to recover from the demise of the late Stephen Keshi, before it received the shocking news of Shuaibu’s sudden death.

Ajibola said, “The death came as a rude shock to everyone of us. We are receiving two prominent people dead in the same week. Well, we cannot question. 

“The man was full of life last night only for us to hear in the early hours of this morning that he has passed on. We pray that God, in His infinite mercy will accept his soul.”

He described the late football manager, as a great man who contributed immensely to the development of football both nationally and at the grassroots, as the Executive Director of Edo State Youth Football Development Agency.

“He was a great man in the development of football. He qualified the nation ‎for different tournaments and even the World Cup, as a coach,” he said.

‎On his part, Afegbua described the late Shuaibu as a devout Muslim, who vowed to provide his children with quality education.

The commissioner said, “He was a very religious guy. He even said that if there was anything he was going to bequeath to his children, because he doesn’t have material acquisition, it was going to be education. 

“So, he takes education uppermost in his heart. He has been giving his children all the best he could. He (Amodu) said they should wake him up around 4am to take his morning prayers and eat his food. But it (his death) is very shocking; I’m just short of words.‎”

Punch