By IKENWA NNABUOGOR
The road to success of Nigerian players is tough, bumpy and full of uncertainties and yet the troubles associated with the success when achieved, most times, are not worth it.
Getting to the top of their careers comes with lots of sweat and sustaining it and keeping up the momentum have left some players hanging in the balance and getting consumed eventually.
One of the biggest troubles of successful Nigerian players is family. Most of the players came from poor backgrounds were football was seen as a veritable means of escaping from poverty. When luck smiles on the player and he makes it, his family is at his mercy and can make or mar him.
Most times, the families of these successful players do not want to work and make money for themselves but prefer to live off their successful brother.
Nigerian players have spent good fortunes on their families who in turn would always come back for more as deep holes are constantly dug on their pockets, leaving them dry, most times, when their careers are over.
Many a player’s family forget that players’ time is short as well as age catching up with them as he lasts on the job.
The older the player, the less relevant he gets and the less bulging his bank balances get.
The fat salaries in hard currencies begin to diminish with age and zeros in with his calling time in his career.
The troubles begin to set especially when his family has refused to be independent. Should the player forget to invest while he was hot, the family could get back to where they were before fortunes smiled on their own.
There are many cases among Nigerian players whose families were their troubles and ended up becoming poor.
Hangers-on are a major trouble to Nigerian players. Many of them have as many as 20 people hanging on for assistance. These folks are some of their mates who didn’t make it along the line and some whose former mates brought along. Some of these guys have given up hope and cling on these players as leaches for food and some change.
These men hang on till these players become poor and off they hunt for another victim, whereas using these players to help themselves would have saved them and their victims as well.
What values have these friends, hangers-on added to these players?
The answers are right there on your lips and records have shown over the years that adding values to these players have been far from them.
The nite clubs, the pubs, the hotels and several money-burning joints are the places these friends know best to direct these players’ steps instead of the financial institutions business districts where the futures of their friends would be guaranteed.
These guys have always ended up being pimps to these players, sometimes for both business and pleasure as they will always get cuts from these ladies of easy virtue.
What about envy? Be rest assured that these friends and hangers-on come along with envy as baggage and would not want their friends to end well.
What about pastors, Muslim clerics and spiritualists?
These self-acclaimed “men” of God are in good business with their “clients” as long as they remain relevant in the European clubs and the Super Eagles. These men maintain good bank accounts while their clients’ careers last.
The players who believe in those “men” of God would stop at nothing, paying huge money to them to maintain their places in their clubs and Super Eagles. Once they become irrelevant, they move on to another player with loaded pockets.
Added to their avalanche of troubles is the players themselves!
Attitude is key and this most times, determines how far players go in their careers.
Managing their fame has always come with some much troubles which has left them ending their careers earlier than expected because of bad fame management.
Respect and regards to their seniors and constituted authorities are thrown overboard and the consequences have not been a palatable one.
Nigerian players love ostentatious lifestyles spending millions on fast cars, fast women, exquisite clubbing and on clothing.
Women fall on their feet and have ended up losing millions in the process with the women moving on to another “victim”
The expensive cars are traded for less as they try to survive to adjust to life after football which has left many miserable and needing help and rehabilitation.
The many troubles of Nigerian players should be big lessons for up coming ones who have a choice of staying out of trouble or letting the troubles consume them.
