Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi Clocks 52

After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the UnitedStates to be educated in coaching.

Between 2004 and 2006, Keshi coached the Togo national football team, unexpectedly bringing them to their first WorldCup tournament, Germany2006. Having secured Togo’s unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach, OttoPfister, prior to the WorldCup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the knock-out stage in 2006AfricanCupofNations in Egypt.

However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial WorldCup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time for a friendly against Cameroon.

The BigBoss, as he is fondly called, worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April2008 on a two-year deal. Keshi was sacked in January2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the AfricaCupofNations.

He became coach of the NigerianNationalTeam in 2011 and led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013AfricaCupofNations, which the Eagles went on to win, defeating BurkinaFaso1–0 in the final, before qualifying the Eagles for the 2014WorldCup in Brazil.

He is currently with the home based Eagles in SouthAfrica for the ChampionshipofAfricanNations meant for home based players in Africa.

From this end, we say happy birthday