Nigerian football great Christian Chukwu dies age 74
13th April 2025
A commanding central defender nicknamed 'Chairman' in his playing days, Chukwu was named the player of the tournament at the 1980 AFCON.
Former Nigerian coach Christian Chukwu watches during the African World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Angola in Kano in June 2005. (AFP photo)
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Christian Chukwu, who led Nigeria to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, died on Saturday, aged 74, in southeastern city Enugu.
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.
Nigeria national team coach Christian Chukwu and player Jay Jay Okocha (R) are pictured during a team training in Monastir, 26 Janaury 2004. (AFP photo)
"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.