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:
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.
