A veteran Rangers International FC of Enugu player, Christian Chukwu, popularly known as “Chairman”, is dead.
Chukwu, a former captain of African Cup of Nations’ Green Eagles, died in Enugu on Saturday at the age of 74.
Joe Martins Uzodike, ex Rangers int’l secretary and coordinator of Ex Rangers Int’l Players Association, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Saturday.
Uzodike said he died at the Eastern Niger Medical Centre where his remains had been deposited at the morgue.
Chukwu, born Jan.4, 1951, captained the Nigerian national team, then known as the Green Eagles, between 1974 and 1980.
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He was in the Nigerian squads that won the Africa Nations’ Cup in 1980 and finished runners-up in 1976 and 1978.
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He was the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy after a 3–0 victory over Algeria in the final of the 1980 tournament.
In October 1998, he was appointed coach of the Kenya national team and from 2003 to 2005, he coached Nigeria, leading them to reach the semifinals at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.
During the 2006 World Cup qualification phase, Chukwu was blamed for inept coaching and management of the Nigerian national football team, and two matches before the qualifying campaign was over, he was suspended.
Chukwu coached Enugu Rangers to 6th place in the 2008/2009 season of the Nigeria Premier League.
However, he was sacked on Aug. 5, 2009 for failing to reach the club’s targets for the season.
Chukwu was made Ranger’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The announcement was made by the Former Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
He was a recipient of the honour, Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
As a young boy, Christian was discouraged by his parents from playing football and was also given plantains to hawk just to stop him from playing football.
It was when he started playing for the National Grammar School, Nike in Enugu and the Highlanders FC owned by the Ministry of Finance that his parents started taking him seriously.
He became Captain of his school and led them to so many victories.
His favorite Arena was the Ngwo Park, a place that has the reputation of producing most of the great players who have played for Rangers, Vasco and the Green Eagles.
He is survived by his wife, Lilian and four children and numerous relatives. (NAN)
