Segun Odegbami, a former Nigerian international, says Kadiri Ikhana, an ex-teammate, is “critically ill”.
The former Green Eagles winger revealed Ikhana’s health situation in a Facebook post on Monday.
Odegbami and Ikhana were members of the Eagles squad that won Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in 1980.
Odegbami said his former teammate has been “transferred to Irrua Specialist Teaching hospital, Auchi, Edo State, for more intensive investigation and immediate blood transfusion in order to save his life”.
He added that Austin Braimoh, a former chairman of the South-South Police Service Commission, has been the one footing the “mounting bills” of Ikhana’s sickness.
“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. That’s what I am doing now,” Odegbami writes.
Odegbami then called on the Edo government, the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to come to the aid of the ailing Ikhana.
“It is absolutely clear to me that most of us, retired international Nigerian athletes, need help. We are suffering, living in pain, poverty and poor health. In the past 4 months, 5 of us have died, and at relatively young ages too,” the post reads.
“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 that are seemingly on rampage this season.”
Ikhana was a mainstay in the Nigerian national team for over a decade. He also represented Nigeria at the 1980 Olympic Games. He played for Bendel Insurance, winning the Nigerian league title in 1979 and the FA Cup in 1978 and 1980.
Ikhana is arguably the most successful coach in the Nigerian domestic scene. He led Enyimba to the CAF Champions League in 2003.
In the last few months, a handful of Nigerian ex-internationals have been pronounced dead — mostly from illness.
Christian Chukwu, Peter Rufai, and Charles Bassey all died after battling several sicknesses.
