Former Nigerian international and football icon, Dr. Segun Odegbami, has sounded a passionate alarm over the critical health condition of his former teammate, Kadiri Ikhana, MON, describing the situation as dire and demanding urgent intervention from government bodies and well-meaning Nigerians.
Odegbami made the plea in a heartfelt Facebook post where he expressed deep frustration over the deteriorating conditions faced by retired Nigerian athletes, many of whom, he noted, are battling poverty, poor health, and neglect.
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“I wish I do not have to do this…again. But I have to, because it is frustrating. It is absolutely clear to me that most of us, retired international Nigerian athletes, need help. We are suffering,” he wrote.
According to the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner, five Nigerian sports veterans have died within the past four months, and another—Kadiri Ikhana—is now critically ill and in need of urgent medical attention.
Ikhana, also a member of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON-winning squad and one of the country’s most decorated domestic football coaches, is currently receiving treatment at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Auchi, Edo State.
Odegbami revealed that Ikhana was recently transferred there for further tests and a blood transfusion.
The distressing update on Ikhana’s condition was brought to Odegbami’s attention by Hon. Austin Braimoh, former Chairman of the South-South Police Service Commission, who has also been personally footing the growing medical expenses to keep the football legend alive.
“In a muffled voice when he was conscious enough and able to utter a few words, Kadiri begged me to ask Nigerians to pray for him,” Odegbami recounted.
In his message, the former Green Eagles captain appealed to the Edo State Government, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Federal Ministry of Sports, and the general public to come to Ikhana’s aid.
Odegbami also used the occasion to call for an institutional approach to understanding the causes of early deaths among former athletes—many of whom, he noted, may be paying the price for the physical strain endured during their playing careers.
“These deaths may not be totally unconnected with the consequences of ‘over-flogging’ our bodies during our sports careers. Nobody knows for sure. What we do know, however, is that we shall never know unless something is done to investigate and understand the causes of these ‘early’ deaths,” he said.
As his post concluded, Odegbami mentioned unconfirmed reports of the passing of two other Nigerian national figures—former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona—on July 13.
“May the Creator of the Universe accept their souls back Home to himself in their eternal Home,” he wrote.
Odegbami’s appeal serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a comprehensive welfare system for Nigerian sports veterans, whose service to the nation often ends in hardship and neglect.
Kadiri Ikhana, a former soldier turned football legend, is remembered not only for his exploits on the pitch but also for his legacy as a successful coach, having won multiple domestic titles and led Enyimba FC to Nigeria’s first CAF Champions League title in 2003.
