The Death of a Legend and a Stirring Interview
Christian Chukwu, the Nigerian football legend fondly known as “Chairman,” passed away on Saturday.
Just one month before his death, the Nigerian icon had given an exclusive interview to The Athletic NG.
In the interview, Chukwu revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had owed him a significant sum for a long time. However, the NFF has denied these claims.
NFF Denies All Allegations: “No Documents, No Debt”
NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi stated that the allegations were baseless and unsupported by documentation:
“There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu,” he said.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.”
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005 before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
He added: “As a credible organisation that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
“Till Tomorrow They Are Still Owing Me” — Chukwu’s Contradictory Claims
However, these statements sharply contradict the comments Chukwu made in his interview just a month earlier.
“They don’t owe foreign coaches… Then you get a Nigerian coach who takes a cheap salary and you are owing him — is it proper? Are you encouraging him to do his job?”
When asked if he was personally owed, Chukwu replied:
“Up till today. Go to the NFF and bring my file; till tomorrow, they are still owing me.”
“The File Is There… But What Can I Do?”
When asked what steps he had taken to recover the money, Chukwu responded helplessly:
“What can I do… There is nothing I can do; the file is there, and they (NFF) have the file… Not only me, other indigenous coaches are also being owed; some are late now because we are Nigerians.”
He further highlighted the disparity in treatment between local and foreign coaches by recounting his experiences abroad:
“When I went to Kenya, I was not owed. When I went to Lebanon, I was not owed. You see the difference. We did our best, and those people appreciated us.”
A Broader Issue: Are Local Coaches Systematically Neglected?
Although the NFF maintains that all debts were cleared, the words of a legend like Chukwu expose a systemic lack of respect towards local football professionals.
As a player, Chukwu won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and later, as a coach, he led the national team to the semi-finals of AFCON 2004.
While Chukwu stated that he had no regrets serving his country, his death has reignited serious discussions about how Nigeria treats its sports legends—especially those who served the nation within its borders.