The family of late Nigerian football icon, Christian Chukwu, has announced a new date for his burial. The burial will now take place on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Earlier, the family had planned to lay him to rest on August 22, 2025, in Enugu.

However, they decided to move the date because of a major event—the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference, which is scheduled to hold from August 22 to 28, 2025, in Enugu. The family didn’t want the two events to clash.

According to a statement by Emeka Christian Chukwu Jr, the change was necessary because the Enugu State Government is also hosting the NBA event during the original burial date.

In the official statement, Emeka said, “We respectfully inform you that the burial of Chairman Christian Chukwu, originally planned for 22nd August 2025, has been changed to Saturday, 16th August 2025.”

He also added that the change was to prevent any inconvenience due to the NBA conference and apologized for any trouble caused.

Christian Chukwu was a well-known figure in Nigerian football. He captained the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) and played his entire club football career with Enugu Rangers. He played 54 times for Nigeria and scored five goals.

As a captain, he led Nigeria to win the 1980 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Nigeria. He later worked as an assistant coach when Nigeria won the AFCON again in 1994 under Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof.

Chukwu was also part of the coaching team that helped Nigeria qualify for its first FIFA World Cup in 1994. He had earlier assisted coach Sebastine Brodericks when Nigeria won the FIFA U-16 World Cup in China in 1985.

In 2004, he served as head coach of the Super Eagles at the AFCON tournament in Tunisia, where Nigeria finished with a bronze medal.