Nigeria has seen a host of distinguished former international football players, such as Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh, Taribo West, the late Stephen Keshi, the late Samuel Okwaraji, the late Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Kingsley Obiekwu, Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu, Alloysius Atuegbu, Joseph Yobo, and Vincent Enyeama, amongst others, too numerous to list.

During their active football careers, many of these individuals played for top-tier clubs in the English Premier League, Serie A, and French Ligue. They received their salaries from their club sides, in addition to match bonuses and allowances whenever they donned the Nigerian national jersey for competitions like international friendlies, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), and the World Cup.

Upon retiring, some embarked on coaching careers or became football agents, while others diversified their earnings into various business ventures. However, it was startling for many Nigerians to witness some of these once highly-revered internationals struggling to make ends meet a few years post-retirement.

One such example is the former Nigerian defender, Kingsley Obiekwu. He made headlines when it was revealed he had resorted to driving a taxi for a living. Obiekwu was a member of the U-23 team that clinched Africa’s first football gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games. His current predicament sparked widespread commentary on social media, with some criticizing him for poor financial planning, while others blamed the Nigerian government for its apparent indifference towards the welfare of former international players.

Interestingly, Obiekwu played alongside successful ex-internationals like Okocha and Kanu, who are now billionaires. In contrast, former Super Eagles defender, Sam Sodje, despite only a few appearances for the Nigerian national team, pursued a coaching career, making considerable strides in Levels 1 and 2 of coaching.

Sam Sodje, in addition to coaching, operates a company in Nigeria that leases construction machinery.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni, another ex-Super Eagles player, renowned as a formidable striker who played for English clubs like Everton, Middlesbrough, Leicester City, and Blackburn, has forged a new career path as a football agent post-retirement. His agency, Wilbury Sports Management, supports promising players and coaches in carving their football careers, with a training center in Florida, USA, and another one planned for Cyprus. Besides, Aiyegbeni has diversified into the petroleum and hospitality sectors.

However, the transition hasn’t been smooth for everyone. Former Nigerian under-23 player, Kaseem Yebsaya, succumbed to depression with no support or safety nets available. Fortunately, a good Samaritan intervened and took him to a psychiatric hospital in Kaduna State for treatment.

Similarly, Wilson Oruma, a former captain of the Golden Eaglets who clinched the gold at the Japan ’93 cadet World Cup, suffered from depression after being scammed out of about ₦2 billion. It took the collective efforts of his ex-teammates to help restore his mental health.

Then there’s Daniel Joshua, a former Nigerian international who once played for the Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles. After sustaining a severe spinal cord injury in a car crash en route to the Minna Eagles camp, Joshua has been confined to bed in Kaduna State for 15 years. His predicament was brought to light when Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker, paid him a visit and expressed his concerns on Twitter about Joshua’s situation and the lack of institutional support he’s received.

DAILY POST reports that the financial situations of former Nigerian internationals post-retirement are varied, with some prospering and others barely getting by.

Isa Saleh Sadiq, a Football scout and CEO of an International Football Academy based in Northern Nigeria, shared his thoughts on the matter. Sadiq asserted that representing the country doesn’t automatically mean that Nigeria should shoulder their financial responsibilities post-retirement. He pointed out successful ex-internationals like Kanu and Okocha, questioning if they received any special treatment post-retirement.

Sadiq urged current players to invest wisely for the future, using the case of Kingsley Obiekwu as a cautionary tale. He also called for the Nigerian government to establish a pension-like system for these national heroes, offering attractive welfare packages. He reasoned that the lack of such support might be why players of Nigerian origin or descent, like Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Balogun, and even Saka, opt to represent other countries instead.

Sadiq added, “They opt to represent countries like England, USA, Italy, among others, primarily due to the superior support systems and packages available to them post-retirement.”