Shefiu Mohammed, an ex-international, on Thursday urged Nigerian footballers to de-emphasise the quest for money in their career if they want to be successful and go very far.
The former Green Eagles player said in Abuja that the pursuit of money before getting the job done could derail the player from being focused.
He said they should realise that money would come when the players’ career had been stabilised.
“They should learn the job first and achieve a great feat before considering money. If not, they may not be able to help their career or the nation which they represent.
“During our time, we did not seek after money. We played with passion. We were serving Nigeria through our game and that was enough for us.
“During the 1978 AFCON Qualifiers in 1977, we defeated Senegal 3-0, we beat Egypt 4-0 and we also went to Cote D’Ivoire where we played 2-2.
“They came to Nigeria and we also beat them 3-0. But I have discovered that today all this can’t happen without putting money first.
“The football administrators have spoiled today’s players with money. Yet they still don’t deliver, and neither have they been able to take the nation to the place of glory like in the past’’.
The player of defunct Raccah Rovers Football Club of Kano then urged football administrators to create an enabling environment for players’ career to thrive.
He however urged football administrators to emulate their predecessors by doing things rightly.
“In those days, we were not having any problem with the National Sports Commission (NSC). So, we are appealing to them to go back to that system by going through their records.
“Let them invite past administrators and learn from them or borrow from their wealth of experience.
“We have people like the former Director-General of the NSC, Patrick Ekeji. They are still there to tap from their experiences.
“They are still within the system and alive, they can still do it. What they need to do is to consult them and do the right thing,’’ Mohammed said.
He however cautioned that football administration in the country should not be seen as a personal property.
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