Okechukwu Emmanuel Isima was a member of the Nigerian national team, the Green Eagles, that conquered Africa in 1980, when it won the African Cup of Nations for the first time. Born on August 24, 1956 in Kano, Isima a left-sided defender, made 20 appearances for Nigeria between 1978 and 1985 and scored three goals.
A legendary defender and superstar, he also featured for Nigeria at the Summer Olympics in Moscow in 1980. He also played for Nigeria at the 1982 and 1984 African Cup of Nations before retiring from the national team in 1985.
At the club level, he played for Enugu Rangers from 1978 to 1982. He had a wonderful career at Rangers where he was spotted and drafted into the national team.
Okey Isima moved to Atlanta, Georgia in the United States where he continued with his football career. He returned to Nigeria after many years in the US and worked as a recruiter of talented players for placement in European and American clubs.
He died in an Abuja hospital on February 18, 2013, after a brief illness at 56 years of age. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) expressed deep shock at the demise of the great defender.
A recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), Isima is survived by wife and children.
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