Nigerian football legend and former national team captain, Christian Chukwu, reportedly passed away without receiving salary arrears owed to him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), despite nearly two decades of appeals.
Chukwu, who captained the Green Eagles and later coached the Super Eagles, died on Saturday at the age of 74. A resurfaced interview from 2024 revealed his emotional plea for the NFF to settle the debt, which he said dated back to 2006.
“The NFF owes Nigerian coaches, but not foreign ones. That’s the problem,” Chukwu lamented. “I’m still being owed. My file is there with the NFF. Go to their office and see for yourself.”
According to him, the NFF owed him over $120,000—payments that spanned several years of service. He noted that the issue affected not only him, but several other indigenous coaches, some of whom have died without being compensated.
When asked if he had pursued legal action or any other recourse, Chukwu responded helplessly: “What can I do?”
His death has reignited conversations around the treatment of local coaches and the need for accountability in Nigerian football administration.
