Sunday Oliseh hails late Stephen Keshi as a true leader

Former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Oliseh has described the late Stephen Keshi as a true leader who led the Nigerian senior national team by example.

Oliseh, who was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), shared these insights on his podcast, Global Football Insights: he praised Keshi’s leadership, professionalism, and larger-than-life influence both on and off the pitch.

The former Ajax star noted that Stephen Keshi was widely revered during his playing days, particularly by younger teammates who grew up watching him on television.

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“He led by example. If they said everyone had to wear a green shirt, he would wear a green shirt. He was disciplined, and that was the kind of person he was; he was a winner,” said Oliseh.

“He was a man who made it clear to everyone that he had a family to support and wanted to earn money. [The message was] if you were not participating, we would lose money. That was how Keshi operated.”

Oliseh further stated that Keshi’s quality was never in doubt, describing him as Nigeria’s first true footballing superstar who remained dedicated to both country and club.

“We never questioned his quality as a player because you could see how he performed. This man was the first superstar of Nigerian football.

“At one point, even when Nigeria participated in the Nations Cup, Keshi would fly in from Belgium, play, and then return to his club after the match. That was how significant his personality was, and Nigeria supported it; otherwise, you wouldn’t have had your best player participating. We all saw that as kids watching television, so we knew that this was a superstar and his teammates accepted it.”