Ideye: Broke Retired Players Deserve Jail Time

Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has urged footballers to take financial management seriously, insisting that those who end up broke after retirement should face jail, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, who recently announced his retirement from international football, advised players on X to treat their earnings as a lifetime salary compressed into a few years.

“Footballers, start saving for your future from day one. No matter how little you earn, set something aside for retirement,” he wrote, adding that players should also pray for a strong support system and reliable partners after their careers.

Ideye made the comments while responding to an online debate about players who mismanage their wealth. When a follower argued that professionals—especially those who played in Europe—had little excuse not to secure financial stability, Ideye replied:

“They should be jailed for life if, after retirement, they can’t feed themselves.”

The debate followed ex-defender Taribo West’s emotional remarks at the funeral of late goalkeeper Peter Rufai on Friday. West criticised the Nigeria Football Federation and the Lagos State Government for allegedly neglecting ex-internationals, citing similar struggles faced by the families of Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha.

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“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit within our groups to ask for money? That is madness,” West said in a video shared by News Central.

His comments reignited social media discussions about the financial challenges of Nigerian football legends, with many questioning why some players, despite successful careers abroad, failed to secure their futures.