Former Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu will be buried today in his hometown of Okpella according to Islamic rites, the Nigeria Football Federation announced.
NFF general secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, will be at the burial along with NFF’s assistant director (technical) Abdulrafiu Yusuf and head of psychology Robinson Okosun.
Family sources said the 58–year-old Amodu, who was confirmed as National Technical Director by the Nigeria Football Federation in October 2014, complained of chest pains on Friday night, and did not wake up on Saturday.
Chairman of the Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, said he had been informed by the Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, that the remains of the celebrated trainer had been deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City – incidentally the same facility where Keshi’s remains are kept.
NFF president Amaju Pinnick was devastated: “This is another tragedy too many. We are still talking about Keshi’s death, and now Amodu is gone. I’m short of words.”
One of the best coaches that Nigeria has produced, Amodu Shuaibu first took charge of the Super Eagles at the age of 36, following the departure of Dutchman Clemens Westerhof as Nigeria left her debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup in the USA in 1994 at the Round of 16.
His first match with the Eagles was the famous ‘Wembley Friendly’ in which Nigeria impressed but lost 0-1 to England’s Three Lions.
Pinnick, who was on his way back to Benin City only 24 hours after returning from visiting late Keshi’s family, could only add: “Amodu’s name was synonymous with the Super Eagles. You can’t talk about the history of Super Eagles without Amodu getting prominent chapters.”