A dark cloud continues to hang over Nigeria’s sporting community as yet another football icon, Kadiri Ikhana, battles for his life. The former Green Eagles defender and celebrated coach is currently critically ill and receiving treatment at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
The sad news was made public by former Nigeria international, Segun Odegbami, in an emotional appeal on Sunday.
Odegbami, a teammate of Ikhana in Nigeria’s victorious 1980 Africa Cup of Nations squad, expressed deep concern over the increasing health and welfare challenges facing retired Nigerian athletes.
“This is frustrating,” Odegbami wrote. “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.”
According to Odegbami, five former athletes have died in the past four months, most of them at relatively young ages. While the causes remain uncertain, he warned that the physical toll of years of sporting activity may be contributing to the spate of untimely deaths.
He described Ikhana’s condition as “critical,” revealing that the former Bendel Insurance stalwart and Nigeria’s most successful domestic league coach was recently transferred to the specialist hospital for intensive medical care, including immediate blood transfusion.
The call for help was sparked by Austin Braimoh, former Chairman of the South-South Police Service Commission, who has so far covered Ikhana’s mounting medical expenses and alerted Odegbami to his condition.
In a frail voice during a moment of consciousness, Ikhana, popularly known as “Kawawa,” reportedly asked for prayers from Nigerians.
“That’s what I am doing now,” Odegbami wrote, urging the government of Edo State, the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation, and kind-hearted Nigerians to come to Ikhana’s aid.
Kadiri Ikhana, MON, is widely revered not just for his time with the national team, but also for his success as a coach—guiding Enyimba FC to Nigeria’s first-ever CAF Champions League title in 2003 and contributing significantly to the growth of local football in the country.
Odegbami’s appeal comes amid a wave of sorrow, as news also emerged of the passing of two prominent national figures—former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona—on the same day, July 13.
“Death is on the prowl this season,” Odegbami concluded, attaching a recent photo of Ikhana and expressing his helplessness. “Please, let’s help him in any way we can. I do not know what else to say or do.”
The nation watches with bated breath, hoping for a miracle for one of its greatest football sons.
