“I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly when it comes to life in football.”
Former Super Eagles star Daniel Amokachi has opened up about the financial lifeline that helped him recover after going bankrupt at 27.
Nicknamed “The Bull”, Mr Amokachi was one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant football stars in his heyday.
Beyond football, he modelled, drove luxury cars and enjoyed the trappings of international stardom at a remarkably young age. He has also previously spoken about having access to a private jet during his playing years.
Asked how he managed to stay grounded after becoming famous and wealthy at 17, Mr Amokachi admitted that he did not.
“If I tell you that I was grounded, I’m lying. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to life in football. I’ve gone bankrupt in my life,
“Grace of God and then, of course, you have a good family and friends around you. And then with that grace, it makes you reflect on life, to know that the path you are taking is not the right path, “ he said.
Now 53, he said the financial setback came at 27, a decade after he had begun enjoying considerable wealth as a teenage football star.
He said. “This is a boy who came off the street. He was living a life. At the age of 17, he was driving a Porsche. The only player in Belgium driving a Porsche at my age.
“At that age, I was modelling and meeting all the superstars in the world. I don’t even know them, but at that age, it’s life. It’s just life that you see.”
His modelling career ran alongside his football career and contributed to the glamorous public image that surrounded him at the height of his fame. In previous interviews, Mr Amokachi has said he modelled for several years during his playing career and met his wife, Nadia, who was also a model, at a modelling show in Paris.
But when Mr Amokachi’s finances collapsed at 27, he said his father’s investments were his saving grace.
“Why I stayed afloat is because of the investment my dad made for me, not me,” he told this newspaper.
According to the former footballer, his father had taken some of his earnings during his playing years and invested the money on his behalf.
Those decisions left him with valuable assets to fall back on when he went bankrupt.
“And when that happened, now you have a property that will sell for N500million . You have this that will sell for [an amount of] money.
“That’s what kept me back. You understand? That’s the grace that I was talking about. Things that I didn’t do, but my dad did,” he said.
Decades later, he said that modelling opportunities still occasionally come his way.
Asked whether he would consider returning to modelling and how he has maintained his physique, he joked: “I’m an old man, but I’m a sexy old man.
“But going back to modelling, from time to time they call me to endorse still what they have and wear their brands and all that stuff. But it’s a look that I really did enjoy, and it gives you another angle about life,” he said.
Mr Amokachi said staying physically fit remained an important part of his lifestyle years after retiring from professional football.
“I love keeping fit. I try to go to the gym five or six times a week and keep going because they say that training and exercise are the best medicine you can give yourself. So I try as much as possible to do that.”
Looking back, Mr Amokachi said his experiences with money and fame had become lessons he could pass on to younger generations of athletes.
He also said football continued to create opportunities for him after his playing career, including coaching, social impact work, and engagements with FIFA and CAF.
The former footballer argued that retired sports stars must also remain visible to take advantage of opportunities beyond their playing careers.
“In the modern era of life, you have to be visible. Visibility is key in life. If you are visible, opportunity comes. If you are visible, people see what you are going through, and they help,” he advised.
Despite the bankruptcy and other setbacks, Mr Amokachi said he had few regrets.
He noted, “I bless God for his grace in my life. He gave me ten good years of one decade of quality life when it comes to football. Will I regret anything? I think I will probably ask him to bring me back the way I am, but take the injury away. That’s the only thing because he really blessed me and still blesses me.”
The interview also turned emotional when Mr Amokachi reflected on his relationship with former Super Eagles captain and coach Stephen Keshi, whom he credited with helping shape him both as a footballer and as a person.
“If you remember my late boss, Stephen Keshi, he’s more than a brother. He’s a brother, he’s a friend. We worked together as coaches, but it goes beyond that because I was 17 years old when I met him,” he said.
