Nigeria ex-international, Austine Eguavoen has called on the Nigerian government to fulfil the promises made to the Super Eagles players when they won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations held in Tunisia, Completesports.com reports.
Speaking at the 2nd Aiteo/NFF Football Awards held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Eguavoen appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation to help facilitate the fulfilment of the house pledge made to members of the Super Eagles ’94 squad who were honoured at the Awards ceremony.
“This is the first time we are so honoured and this will help to bridge the distance between ex-internationals and the NFF,” Eguavoen said.
“I want to make a passionate appeal to the NFF to help facilitate the release of houses promised us in 1994. Some of us got theirs, some did not, while five amongst us have passed on, and their children should be the beneficiaries of such benefits.
“A line in our national anthem reads ‘the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain. I urge the government to fulfil the promise made.”
Eguavoen was amongst the ’94 Eagles set who were honoured during the Awards ceremony.
The next edition of the award will hold next year.
By Sulaiman Alao
2 Comments
True talk
The promises made to these guys should be fulfilled na. It is a shame and total disgrace that these guys have been waiting for their entitlements for 25 years (since 1994). Haba! Also, a pension fund should be established for past athletes who represented us in international competitive sports. All sports, not just football. For instance, if a Nigerian is invited for an international sleeping competition, and he goes there to sleep for Nigeria, he becomes eligible for this fund, even if he represented Nigeria just once in his career. If we don’t appreciate our athletes, we will continue to lose them to other countries. Aside from that, it is grossly unjust that athletes who gave their best on behalf of the country should be left to wallow in abject poverty after they are retired. And I refuse to believe or accept that Nigeria can’t afford to take care of her own. With the resources at our disposal, what is needed to take care of past athletes is just a drop in the bucket. Hope a step is taken in the right direction – let the authorities start by heeding the request in this article, and in Mathematical Odegbami’s recent article which shed even more light on this subject!