The veteran former Nigeria coach has been left distraught by the close deaths of the two successful coaches who passed on with days of each other.

Former Super Eagles coach Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has lamented the untimely deaths of both Shaibu Amodu and Stephen Keshi, men who he claimed were supposed to be the leading lights of Nigerian football coaches in years to come.

Amodu’s was announced on Saturday morning, three days after Keshi passed on at the age of 54.

Onigbinde, who has been involved with the national team as a coach since 1982, said they late duo had all it takes to move Nigerian football forward but unfortunately won’t be around to give of their experience.

“The news of the sudden death of coach Amodu is a shocking one. One has not even recovered from the news of the sudden death of Stephen Keshi before the shattering news of Amodu's death,” Onigbinde told Goal.

“It pains me that when I thought we were beginning to get it right in the Technical Department of the Nigeria Football Federation with Amodu in charge, that's when death came knocking and took him away. It is sad and very painful

“At the time he had not been appointed, I was the one pushing him to go for it and head the NFF technical department because I knew he was capable.

“I told him to go ahead and let's get something out of this before he agreed to do it. I told him then that he has the heart and the wherewithal to confront all obstacles in doing this job. He did not disappoint me until death took him away.

“This is what led to my level of frustration on his death. We are struggling to see who will take over from us when we finally leave the stage (coaching) but the people that are supposed to take over from us are the ones going one by one.

“This is very sad and I am very emotional about this. May the soul of the departed rest in perfect peace,” Onigbinde said.



Amodu was buried in his hometown in Okpella on Saturday according to Islamic rites.