Exclusive: Keshi’s nephew reveals last moments of legendary coach
As the football world continue to mourn the death of the former Super Eagles captain and coach Stephen Keshi, family members of the deceased are still ‘blank’ to comprehend the fact that their beloved father and brother has indeed passed to the great beyond.
In an exclusive chat with NAIJ.com Sports, Keshi’s look-alike nephew Ebuka narrates what the last moments of the late tactician, saying it is still unbelievable.
Excerpts:
How is the family coping?
Well, the family is still in shock. It’s a real big loss to us. It’s like where you have an unsuspected volcano erupt immediately without your control.
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We are still in grief. The wound is still very fresh as though the incident is re-occurring every day.
Waking up every second and not having him, not hearing his voice is huge loss, shock. Well thank God that so far so good, we were all holding-up.
Keshi’s look-alike nephew, Ebuka
There is nothing we can do. We just have to hold-up and be strong because I believe it is what he wants us to do; to be strong.
What’s your one-on-one relationship with the late legend like?
A lot of persons know me as his nephew; I can’t remember a single occasion that he referred to me as his nephew, like wise I do not refer to him like a nephew.
He is my brother and also a father to me. We’ve lived together for a long time now and in fact … losing a brother which is very close and dear to me is still heavy.
This morning I woke up from sleep waiting to hear his voice as usual, it was not there. Waiting to hear the knock on my door, it was not there. Waiting to hear him call our ‘oya oboy come open gate for me let me go to the gym’, it was not there. So, I just think it is what we have to live with for a very long time to come.
Can you describe what happened on that fateful day?
He was happy. He was talking, he called me into his room on two separate occasions and was just getting himself ready to pray and I helped him position his pillow, he sat up, he talked.
He said ‘ah oboy e be like say cold dey, help me off this fan’, and I did. He said he will rest a bit and then start his prayers.
Then I left for the living room. Moments later, he called me again and was like ‘this room don dey warm again’, so I put the fan on again.
And he said ‘I will call you when I am done again’. We talked and there was no indication that I would not have him like that to talk to again, I will not have him around, I will not be able to smile with him, you know … laugh with him.
It never just … not the slightest of clue there that that was what we were going to experience some minutes to come. He was full of life; basically full of life.
Can you confirm if he was to leave for the US that day?
Ah… I know he was supposed to take a trip out of Edo state. We did not really discuss if it was going to be an onward transition to the US, but I just know that he was getting himself for a trip to Lagos.
We did not discuss if he was to go to the US afterwards, because he discusses his movement.
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Well what can we say? What can we do? He is gone, it has happened, we are grieving, we are still sore… We just have to live with it.
What will Nigeria miss about the late ‘Big Boss’?
His name as we all know is a big market anytime. Everybody wants to be associated with him. He does his thing the right way it should be done; not cutting corners.
On the field as a professional footballer in his active playing days, even till retirement, it’s been the same thing. So I think Nigeria as a whole will miss the professionalism this man brings to the fore.
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