Stephen Keshi: Career Stats, Clubs, Age & Nationality

Stephen Keshi: profile

Stephen Keshi (born 23 January 1962 in Lagos, Nigeria) was a Nigerian footballer who played as a defender. He died on 7 June 2016.

Keshi's senior club career began in 1979 at ACB Lagos. He played for 11 clubs in 6 countries between 1979 and 1998. The busiest spell of his career was at R.S.C. Anderlecht (1987–1991): 99 appearances and 18 goals. Across all recorded club spells he totals 386 appearances and 51 goals.

At international level, Keshi represented Nigeria (1981–1994). Our match database lists 8 of his international goals; the first came against Ethiopia on 7 March 1982 (Africa Cup of Nations).

Lagos has produced 367 footballers in our database, including Victor Osimhen, Victor Moses and Obafemi Martins.

Key facts

Senior international debut: 1981 (aged about 19)
First international goal: 1982 – aged 20 (match)
Club career: 1979–1998 (20 seasons)
Countries played in: 6: Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Belgium, France, United States and Malaysia
Club goals per game: 0.13 (51 in 386)
Height: 185 cm — taller than 73% of Nigerian internationals on record
Latest move: Perlis FA (1997)
Shares a birthday with: Alban Lafont, Ramadan Sobhi and Cherif Ndiaye (more)

Club career

Years	Club	League	Apps	Goals
1979	ACB Lagos		10	1
1980–1984	New Nigeria Bank F.C.	Nigeria Premier Football League	42	4
1985	Stade d'Abidjan	Ligue 1	13	2
1986	Africa Sports d'Abidjan	Ligue 1	22	2
1986–1987	K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen	Challenger Pro League	28	6
1987–1991	R.S.C. Anderlecht	Belgian Pro League	99	18
1991–1993	RC Strasbourg Alsace	Ligue 1	62	9
1993–1994	Racing White Daring Molenbeek	Belgian Pro League	40	1
1995	Central California Valley Hydra		20	1
1996	Sacramento Scorpions		16	3
1997–1998	Perlis FA	Malaysia Super League	34	4
	Total		386	51

Appearances and goals are league figures where recorded on Wikidata; “–” means not recorded.

International career

Years	Team	Level	Caps	Goals
1981–1994	Nigeria	Senior	–	–

International goals (8)

#	Date	Match	Min	Competition
1	7 Mar 1982	Ethiopia 0–3 Nigeria	27	Africa Cup of Nations
2	7 Mar 1982	Ethiopia 0–3 Nigeria	84	Africa Cup of Nations
3	14 Mar 1984	Egypt 2–2 Nigeria	43 (pen)	Africa Cup of Nations
4	6 Apr 1985	Kenya 0–3 Nigeria	45	World Cup Qualification
5	22 Jan 1989	Angola 2–2 Nigeria	8	World Cup Qualification
6	10 Jun 1989	Nigeria 2–0 Cameroon	43	World Cup Qualification
7	12 Aug 1989	Nigeria 1–0 Angola	44	World Cup Qualification
8	12 Jan 1992	Senegal 1–2 Nigeria	89	Africa Cup of Nations

*Goals listed are those present in our match-by-match goal database, which is most complete for tournament matches.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Stephen Keshi born?

Stephen Keshi was born in Lagos, Nigeria.

Which national team does Stephen Keshi play for?

Stephen Keshi played international football for Nigeria.

Which clubs has Stephen Keshi played for?

Stephen Keshi's recorded clubs are ACB Lagos, New Nigeria Bank F.C., Stade d'Abidjan, Africa Sports d'Abidjan, K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen, R.S.C. Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg Alsace, Racing White Daring Molenbeek, Central California Valley Hydra, Sacramento Scorpions and Perlis FA.

How tall is Stephen Keshi?

Stephen Keshi is 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) tall.

What position does Stephen Keshi play?

Stephen Keshi played as a defender.