Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami has called for financial aid for former Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Fregene, who is currently hospitalized in Sapele, Delta State, and urgently requires medical attention. In a statement, Odegbami revealed that while funds for an ambulance have been provided by Tony Ojesina, more financial support is still needed to move Fregene to Ohara Teaching Hospital.
Expressing his frustration, Odegbami highlighted the lack of a welfare system for retired athletes in Nigeria, stating: “Why don’t we have, or why can’t we set up, even on our own, a simple welfare scheme for active and retired athletes across all sports in the country, to take care of our declining health in old age?”
Fregene, who was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper from 1968 to 1971 and played in the 1968 Olympics, has been facing severe health challenges, with Odegbami describing the situation as “ugly and shameful.”
Odegbami also emphasized that the responsibility of helping athletes like Fregene should not fall on the same few Nigerians who have previously provided assistance.
He appealed for more sustainable solutions to support retired athletes, saying, “The danger now is that the number of retired ageing sports heroes languishing in poverty, neglect, and ill health is legion already, and growing,” He said.
