Segun Odegbami, Nigerian football legend and former Green Eagles winger, has revealed that his former teammate, Kadiri Ikhana, is critically ill and in urgent need of medical and financial support.
In a heartfelt Facebook post on Monday, Odegbami disclosed that Ikhana, who was part of Nigeria’s victorious 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, has been transferred to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Auchi, Edo State, for more intensive medical investigation and an immediate blood transfusion to save his life.
“Kadiri is in a bad shape. He’s been moved to Irrua for further treatment. His condition is critical,” Odegbami wrote. “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’m doing now.”
Odegbami praised Austin Braimoh, a former member of the Police Service Commission representing the south, for shouldering Ikhana’s rising medical bills, describing his intervention as a lifeline.
Calling for broader institutional support, Odegbami appealed to the Edo State Government, the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to come to the aid of the ailing football icon.
He also decried the neglect of retired athletes in Nigeria, stating that many are living in pain, poverty, and battling health crises without help.
“It is absolutely clear to me that most of us, retired international Nigerian athletes, need help,” he said. “We are suffering, living in pain, poverty and poor health. In the past four months, five of us have died—at relatively young ages too.”
He raised concerns that these frequent deaths might be linked to the long-term effects of physical strain during their active careers. “Nobody knows for sure. What we do know is that we shall never know unless something is done to investigate and understand the causes of these early deaths.”
Ikhana, a stalwart of the Nigerian national team for over a decade, also represented the country at the 1980 Olympic Games. At club level, he was a standout performer for Bendel Insurance, with whom he won the Nigerian league title in 1979 and the FA Cup in 1978 and 1980.
As a coach, Ikhana made history by guiding Enyimba FC to their first-ever CAF Champions League title in 2003 — the first for any Nigerian club.
In recent months, several Nigerian ex-internationals — including Christian Chukwu, Peter Rufai, and Charles Bassey — have passed away after battling various illnesses, drawing renewed attention to the need for structured welfare for the country’s retired sports heroes.