Former Harambee Stars coach Chukwu dies aged 74
A commanding central defender nicknamed 'Chairman' in his playing days, Chukwu was named the player of the tournament at the 1980 AFCON.
The football fraternity is in mourning following the death of Nigerian great and former Harambee Stars coach Christian Chukwu.
Chukwu, renowned for being the first coach to lead Nigeria to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, died on Saturday, aged 74, in the southeastern city Enugu, where he was born and raised.
A commanding central defender nicknamed 'Chairman' in his playing days, Chukwu was named the player of the tournament at the 1980 AFCON.
He also took Nigeria's Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 edition of the tournament in Tunisia as coach, after a stint in charge of Kenya's national team Harambee Stars.
Chukwu was named Harambee Stars coach in 1998 by the then Kenya Football Federation boss Peter Kenneth but his stay was brief and mired in controversy from the word go.
His job was to help Kenya qualify for the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, but it failed to pick u,p and the Stars finished bottom of their group.
The Stars were placed in Group 6, together with Zambia, who finished top with 16 points.
DR Congo came second with 10 points, while Madagascar was third with five.
Kenya were bottom with just two points and failed to win a single match during the group phase. Chukwu was fired less than a year into his stay at the national side.
"We have lost a good and great man," said Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
"Chukwu was the definition of a strong, dedicated, and disciplined leader on and off the field. He was not nicknamed 'Chairman' for nothing. He embodied strength, vision, and consistency."
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described Chukwu as "more than a footballer."
"His legacies will continue to live on in the trophies he won, the lives he touched, and the exciting moments he provided to football fans and spectators on the field and in the technical area," a statement by the president's media adviser said.
Chukwu also coached the Enugu Rangers back home in the Nigerian Super League during his time in the dugout.