Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has urged footballers to save for retirement, insisting broke ex-players deserve jail time as debate grows over financial struggles of Nigerian football legends.
Former Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, has advised footballers to prioritise financial planning, warning that those who end up broke after retirement should face jail time.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, who recently retired from international football, shared the advice on his X account.
“Footballers, start saving for your future from day one. No matter how small your salary is, put something aside for your retirement,” Ideye wrote. He stressed that players also need the right support system and reliable partners.
Responding to a follower who argued that professionals, especially those who played in Europe, had no excuse not to be financially secure, Ideye replied, “They should be jailed for life if, after they retired from playing, they can’t feed themselves.”
His comments came after ex-defender Taribo West criticised authorities at Peter Rufai’s burial for neglecting late football heroes, lamenting that families of legends like Stephen Keshi and Rashidi Yekini had suffered similar struggles.