“It is annoying that I toiled so much and these people at the NFA [Nigeria Football Association, which was NFF’s former name] cannot figure out ways of sorting out the money they owe me,” Chukwu said.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed grief over the death of former Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu, yet remained silent on the $128,000 unpaid wages owed to him since 2006. Chukwu, who led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2004 AFCON, was dismissed ahead of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers and spent years fighting for his unpaid dues.
In a 2008 BBC interview, Chukwu lamented, “It is annoying that I toiled so much and these people at the NFA cannot figure out ways of sorting out the money they owe me.” The NFF, however, demanded “concrete evidence” before acting. Chukwu maintained that local coaches were often mistreated, saying, “I am very sure a foreign coach will not be treated this way.” His death has reignited criticism of the NFF’s handling of coaches’ welfare.
