Ex-International, Segun Odegbami on Tuesday unveiled his book titled: ‘Me, Football and More’.
The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi and the representative of Alegho Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communication, Tony Akiotu, were among the dignitaries that attended the book launch.
However and surprisingly, conspicuously missing at the event were board members and management of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In his address, Sports Minister praised the effort of the one called “Mathematical”. He noted that most ex- internationals were facing difficult life as a result of their inability to think of life outside of football, urging them to emulate ex-players like Odegbami and try to transform themselves.
“This is important to those who play football recently, that running around as if their life ended with football, some of them fall sick they cannot even foot their medical bill; some of them are homeless; some are roaming around with nothing to do and each time people keep saying government has abandoned the ex footballer.
My argument is always that these athletes abandoned themselves long ago. In fact, some of these footballers the kind of money they are earning today Segun Odegbami did not earn that much yet, no sooner they stop playing they end up in poverty”
“Certainly the message was if Segun Odegbami can survive after football for many years, I think every sportsman, every athlete has responsibility upon himself or herself to think of life outside and beyond sports”.
Responding, the 1980 African Cup of Nation winner Odegbami thanked everybody that made the publication of the book “me, football and more” a success.
