Former Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, has sparked controversy after declaring that footballers who end up broke after retirement should be “jailed.”
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, who recently retired from international football, took to his official X account to advise active players to treat their wages as a lifetime’s salary earned in just a few years.
“Footballers, start saving for your future from day one. No matter how small your salary is, put something aside for your retirement,” Ideye wrote.
The former West Bromwich Albion striker also stressed the importance of having a solid support system.
“Pray for the right people around you, pray for a good partner, because these things matter after football,” he added.
His remarks came in response to an online debate about the financial struggles of ex-footballers. A follower had argued that players, especially those who enjoyed long stints in Europe, had little excuse not to build financial security.
Ideye’s response was blunt, “They should be jailed for life if, after they retired from playing, they can’t feed themselves.”
The debate gained momentum after ex-Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, gave an emotional outburst at the burial of late Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai on Friday. The former Inter Milan star condemned the alleged neglect of Nigerian football legends by both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Lagos State Government.
“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit within our groups to ask for money? That is madness,” West lamented in a viral video posted by News Central.
He also recalled similar struggles endured by the families of late Nigerian icons Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, insisting that the nation has failed to properly honour its football heroes.
West’s passionate remarks ignited widespread debate on social media, with many Nigerians questioning why some ex-internationals, despite lucrative careers abroad, fail to secure themselves financially after retirement.
Ideye’s radical stance has since divided opinion, while some fans praised his hard-hitting call for personal accountability, others argued that the lack of institutional support for players remains a bigger problem.
