Nigerian football legend and sports advocate, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami (MON, OLY), has made a passionate plea to the Nigerian government, sports institutions, and the public to urgently intervene and support ailing former Super Eagles star, Kadiri Ikhana, who is currently battling for his life in Edo State.
In a moving statement titled “Another Eagle on Death Throes!”, Odegbami decried the worsening plight of retired Nigerian athletes, many of whom, he said, now live in poverty and suffer from serious health conditions without institutional support.
“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,” Odegbami said. “In the past four months, five of us have died, and at relatively young ages too.”
He expressed concern that the growing number of deaths could be linked to long-term health consequences stemming from their athletic careers, a subject he noted remains largely unresearched and ignored by the authorities.
Odegbami highlighted the case of Kadiri Ikhana, MON—a former national team defender, 1980 AFCON champion, ex-soldier, and one of Nigeria’s most successful domestic coaches. According to him, Ikhana is in critical condition in Auchi and was recently moved to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, where he is undergoing urgent treatment, including a life-saving blood transfusion.
“This is a man who gave so much to Nigerian football—as a player, coach, and mentor. Now he lies helpless, depending on the goodwill of others to stay alive,” he said.
He commended Hon. Austin Braimoh, former Chairman of the South-South Police Service Commission, for covering Ikhana’s medical bills and helping bring the situation to national attention.
According to Odegbami, a frail Ikhana managed to whisper a request from his hospital bed: “Tell Nigerians to pray for me.”
While appealing for public prayers and support, Odegbami also called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s sports welfare system to prevent future neglect of retired athletes. He urged the Edo State Government, the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and well-meaning Nigerians to come to Ikhana’s aid and take long-term steps to provide healthcare and social security for sports veterans.
In his statement, Odegbami also paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, whose reported deaths occurred on the same day, July 13, 2025.
“May the Creator of the Universe accept their souls back Home to Himself in their eternal Home,” he wrote.
A recent photo of Ikhana—now serving as an Air Peace Ambassador—was shared alongside the appeal, offering a poignant reminder of the urgent need for support.
“Please, let’s help him in any way we can,” Odegbami concluded. “I do not know what else to say or do.”