How NFF officials killed my football career - Singer, Crayon

Popular singer, Charles Chibuezechukwu, aka Crayon, has recounted how some top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, truncated his football career after dropping him from a national team selection for someone from a wealthy background.

The 'Trench To Triumph' crooner said he was selected to be part of a national youth team in 2015 but was later dropped by some corrupt officials.

He disclosed this in a recent interview with Cool FM Nigeria in Lagos.

He said the incident contributed to the depression he suffered in 2015.

Crayon said,

"I became depressed in 2015 because I couldn't get into the university. All my friends were in school. At that time I was really close to my friends. I was the youngest among my friends. Every time they are around is always fun. Then they all got admitted to the universities in Ghana, Benin, etc. I was just me in the hood.

"It was so boring. I didn't have anything to do, nowhere to go. And my footballing career at that time wasn't really kicking off for me as well. I used to play football. I used to be a proper footballer. They called me 'Coutinho' in my hood. You know prime Coutinho who played for Liverpool?

"I tried to become a professional footballer but it didn't work out for me because football in Nigeria is quite dicey. There is a lot of corruption. I don't want to mention names because it might hurt some people. They are big names; top [football] officials.

"At a time I went for one screening in Surulere [National Stadium], they [NFF officials] picked me and they had to like swindle me and pick someone else because the person had money and connections. So, at that point, I became disappointed. I went home depressed."