Former Captain of the Green Eagles, Christian Chukwu is dead.
Aged 74, Chukwu died today Saturday April 12, 2025.
His fellow teammate and Striker, Segun Odegbami, broke the news on social media some moments ago.
Announcing the passage of the“Chairman Chukwu,” “Mathematical Odegbami wrote:
“My Chairman has passed on.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and team mate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s football history, former captain and coach of Nigeria’s national football team, has passed on.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago!
“May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven, and console his family.”
Chukwu captained the Nigerian national team, then known as the Green Eagles between 1974 and 1980.
He was in the Nigerian squads that won the Africa Nations’ Cup in 1980 and finished runners’ up in 1976 and 1978.
He was the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy after a 3–0 victory over Algeria in the final of the 1980 tournament
In October 1998 he was appointed coach of the Kenya national team.
Later, from 2003 to 2005, he coached Nigeria, leading them to reach semifinals at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.
Chukwu coached Enugu Rangers to 6th place in the 2008–2009 edition of the Nigeria Premier League.
Chukwu was made Ranger’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by former Enugu State’s Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
