Last Saturday, the news broke, “Christian Chukwu dies at 74”. Affectionately called ‘’Chairman Christian Chukwu’’, his passing was a sad one but I got consoled by the saying of the great philosopher Plato about life and death. According to Plato, “The soul is immortal”. He believed in the immortality of the soul, arguing that, the soul exists before birth and continues to exist after death. Therefore, even after death, Chairman Christian Chukwu lives on.
But, come to think of it, every minute, someone leaves this world, age has nothing to do with it; as we are all in this queue without realizing it. We never know how many people are in front of us, we can’t go to the back of the line, and we can’t get out of the line.
We can’t stop moving forward, so while we wait in line, let’s make peace! Let’s do good! Let’s tell the truth and be honest! This world will leave us one day, that’s for sure. So let’s do good, and use the little time we have left to reveal the secret of life. This secret seems both simple and absurd. It’s what keeps the world on tenterhooks.
And so, I think, it is with our brother, Chairman Christian Chukwu, who, a few days ago was with us on this terrestrial plane, and last week existed, after completing his circle.
As we all know, he was a former Super Eagles Coach. In 2021, false reports of his death circulated widely, prompting him to refute the rumours during his 70th birthday celebration on January 4, 2021. I recall him saying, “I am embarrassed with this news that I am dead. Several people have been calling me from across the World since the news broke”.
He was a prominent figure in Nigerian Football, both as a player and a coach; and his legacy in the sport remains significant. Reacting to his death, his long time teammate and friend, Segun Odegbami, described Chukwu as one of the greatest footballers.
In 2023, his biography, “The Field Marshal: Chairman Christian Chukwu’’, was unveiled in Lagos.
One fact is indisputable. When the roll call of football legends in Nigeria is taken, the name, Christian Chukwu shall be written in gold as a great footballer who once passed this way. He would be remembered for good.
Born January 4, 1951, information has it that, he was discouraged by his parents while playing football at a young age. He was also given plantains to hawk just to stop him from playing football.
It was when he started playing for National Grammar School Nike and the Highlanders FC, owned by the Ministry of Finance that his parents started taking him seriously.
He became Captain of his school team and led them to so many victories. His favourite arena was the Ngwo Park. The Park had the reputation of producing most of the great players who have played for Rangers, Vasco and the Green Eagles.
He attended Christ Church Primary School, Uwani Enugu and National Secondary School Nike Enugu. Thereafter, he joined East Central State Academicals and won the National Cup.
As a player, he 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 the semifinals at the 2004 African Cup of Nations. During the 2006 World Cup qualification phase, Chukwu was blamed for inept coaching and management of the Nigerian national football team, and two matches before the qualifying campaign was over, he was suspended.
In two matches – home and away – against eventual group winners Angola, Nigeria failed to win either one of those two encounters. This was blamed on Chukwu and those two crucial failures eventually led to Nigeria failing to qualify for the World Cup, after having appeared at all World Cup finals tournaments since their debut in 1994.
Chukwu coached the Enugu Rangers to sixth place in the 2008–2009 edition of the Nigeria Premier League. However, he was sacked on August 5, 2009, for failing to reach the club’s targets for the season.
He was made the Rangers’ General Manager and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). It was said that he had a close bond and friendship with his teammates and other leaders like himself that made them win, and even in old age, he still bonded very well with them. Dan Anyiam made a lot of impact in his life as a football player. He spent his childhood between Robinson and Kenyatta Street.
