Stephen Keshi, a former Nigerian soccer star and head coach of the country's national team, died Wednesdayat the age of 54, the Nigerian Football Federation confirmed on Twitter.
A cause of death has yet to be announced.
Keshi occupies a special place in African soccer lore. According to Nigerian newspaper the Cable, Keshi is one of just two people in history to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and a coach. The other is Mahmoud El-Gohary of Egypt, who died in 2012.
A standout defender, Keshi was a guiding force on Nigeria's national team throughout his prime.