TheCable

Former Green Eagles player and veteran coach Kelechi Emeteole is dead.

Emeteole, aged 66, succumbed to the throat cancer that saw him recently undergo an operation in India.

Tosin Ibitoye, media officer of the Super Eagles, announced his demise on Wednesday.

“Gone but can never be forgotten. Former @NGSuperEagles assistant coach, ex Heartland FC, Rangers International FC coach Kelechi Emeteole is dead,” he posted on Twitter.

Gone but can never be forgotten.
Former @NGSuperEagles assistant coach, ex @HeartlandFC_ng, @RangersIntFC coach Kelechi Emeteole is dead. pic.twitter.com/ch5yS1KTLs

— Oluwatoyin Ibitoye (@Toyin_Ibitoye) June 21, 2017

‘Caterpillar’, as he was fondly called during his playing days, was among Nigeria’s coaching crew to the U17 World Cups in China (1985) and Canada (1987).

Emeteole played for Rangers International and earned 17 international caps for the Green Eagles, scoring four goals.

His medical challenge started early 2017 when he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

The public had to raise money for him to undergo a surgery worth $11,000 in India.

He was accompanied by his wife and returned to Nigeria after the surgery.

Emeteole will be remembered as one of the best Nigerian players of the ’70s and a defensive marshal of the Green Eagles.