Former Super Eagles striker and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Brown Ideye, has criticised Nigerian club giants Enyimba FC over what he described as substandard player welfare and inconsistent bonus structures during his brief spell at the club.
The 36-year-old forward, who joined the two-time CAF Champions League winners in December 2024, expressed disappointment with the treatment of players, particularly during away trips and in the handling of financial entitlements.
According to Ideye, players at Enyimba were subjected to inadequate daily allowances, often receiving just ₦7,000 or ₦8,000 per day while on away matches — without any fixed or structured welfare plan in place.
“At Enyimba, we were receiving ₦7,000 a day. Sometimes ₦8,000. It’s not even stable. One day it’s ₦7k, another day ₦8k,” Ideye said.
He explained that the funds were sent to the team captain, who would then distribute the cash among the players. However, he pointed out that the allowance often did not cover even basic needs, including meals, and that no provision was made on match day itself.
“If we had a game on Sunday and travelled on Friday, they’d pay ₦7,000 for Friday and Saturday, but on match day, Sunday, you’re on your own. No allowance,” he added.
Ideye, who has featured for top clubs including Olympiacos, Dynamo Kyiv, and West Bromwich Albion, also highlighted how match bonuses were paid irregularly — often accumulated over the season and disbursed in bulk at the end.
“The worst part is you don’t get your match bonus weekly or monthly. They accumulate it and give you at the end of the season,” he lamented.
He noted that the bonus payments were not standardised and were often subject to the discretion of the club’s leadership.
“It depends on what the captain, chairman or director agree on before the season. There is no fixed structure. If it’s a game they really want to win, they may raise it to ₦30k or ₦40k. But on average, it’s ₦15k, sometimes ₦10k,” he said.
Players who were not selected for matches, Ideye added, received token amounts, often as low as ₦5,000.
Having played across top-flight leagues in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Ideye said he was stunned by what he encountered at Enyimba and called for urgent reforms to improve player welfare and professionalism in Nigerian club football.
“When I got there, that’s what I met on ground. I couldn’t believe it,” he said, urging stakeholders to raise standards and implement transparent systems to support home-based players.
