Keshi set to make history

Stephen Keshi  was in  the twilight of his career when he captained Nigeria  to seal their first ever World Cup. Nigeria only needed a draw against Algeria in the last  Group A second stage USA ’94 World Cup qualifying playoff in Algiers on October 8, 1993   to reach the finals.

The hosts shot into an early lead and were heading for victory when Finidi George struck to earn  the Super Eagles a place at USA ’94.

Keshi was in the heart of the defence marshalling Augustine Eguavoen, Uche Okechukwu, Ben Iroha,  while Rashidi Yekini led the attack.

With World Cup ticket in the bag, Nigeria progressed to win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. Emmanuel Amuneke scored twice in the 2-1 defeat of Zambia in the final at the Stade El Menzah, Tunis.

A nagging injury restricted Keshi to two matches in the tournament but he lifted the trophy as captain when his deputy  Eguavoen  gave him the armband before the presentation ceremony.

Keshi struggled with fitness at the World Cup, forcing Dutchman Clemens Westerhof  to play him in one match –  against Greece  in the last group game of the championship.

Nigeria won 2-0 with Finidi and Daniel Amokachi on target in each half.

After the end of his playing career, Keshi managed the Flying Eagles and later assisted coach Shaibu Amodu to secure qualification for the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup. But they were sent packing paving the way for coach Adegboye Onigbinde to pilot the Eagles to the World Cup.

Keshi moved to Togo and helped the Hawks qualify for their first ever World Cup. He was involved in a dispute with the Togolese football officials, who denied him the opportunity to take the Hawks to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The former Mali coach  became  the second man in history to win  the Africa Cup of Nations  as a player and a coach  after Mohamed El Gohary of Egypt when Nigeria won the continental showpiece in South Africa on February 10.

Keshi will make history as the first Nigerian to qualify the country for the World Cup as a player and  coach and  playing in the country’s first appearance at the tournament if the Eagles pick up a draw in the return match of their 2014 World Cup playoff against Ethiopia in Calabar on Saturday.

 The ex-Strasbourg captain will also become the first African coach to qualify two different countries for different  World Cups – 2006 and 2014.

 Nigeria beat the Walya Antelopes 2-1 in the first leg in Addis Ababa on October 13 and Keshi will bank on in-form Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike  to realise his dream of leading Nigeria to Brazil.

The former Spartak Moscow star scored  Nigeria’s goals in the defeat of the Walya Antelopes in the first leg and he has promised he won’t disappoint in Calabar.

“The game in Calabar will be tougher for us than the one in Addis Ababa. We have to be careful and get ready for another big business in Calabar,” FIFA.com quoted Emenike as saying during the week.

“Ethiopia are very good and they will be coming here with more tricks. So, we shouldn’t see the first leg victory as the end of road.”

Keshi said the Eagles would approach the encounter like a cup final.