Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of the Super Eagles, has died.
Chronicle NG gathered that the former Enugu Rangers coach passed away at the age of 74 in the early hours of Saturday, in his home state of Enugu.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of filing this report.
His longtime teammate and friend, Dr Olusegun Odegbami, confirmed the development in a post via his official X handle on Saturday.
Odegbami, who won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Chukwu, wrote: “My Chairman has passed on. This morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s football history, former captain and coach of Nigeria’s national football team, has passed on.”
The Enugu-born legend also led the Enugu Rangers FC team that won the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977.
Chukwu also served as assistant coach of the first Nigerian team to win a FIFA World Cup trophy – the Golden Eaglets, who triumphed at the FIFA U16 World Cup in China in 1985.
He was also assistant coach of the team famously referred to as the ‘Golden Generation’ – the 1994 class of Super Eagles that qualified Nigeria for its first FIFA World Cup finals.
Christian Chukwu captained the national team to its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, and later led the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia.
He was, however, sacked in June 2005 during the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
In 2019, Chukwu was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which affected his leg and led his family to launch a GoFundMe appeal to solicit funds for the football legend’s medical treatment.
Businessman Femi Otedola eventually donated $50,000 for Christian Chukwu’s treatment overseas.
