Ex-Super Eagles Star Etim Esin on Missing the 1994 World Cup and Nearly Taking His Life

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Former Super Eagles midfielder Etim Esin has opened up about the severe depression he suffered after being left out of Nigeria’s squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In a candid interview on the Play Zone Podcast, he called it the biggest regret of his career and revealed he nearly took his own life. Esin said his absence puzzled teammates, including the late goalkeeper Peter Rufai, who famously asked, “Where is the African Maradona?” That concern from his peers only deepened his pain. He also recalled an alleged promise from the late MKO Abiola that he would captain the team if Abiola won the election. “Abiola was locked up,” Esin said. “The World Cup was the only dream I had.” The heartbreak drove him into a destructive path. “I went into drugs. I was so depressed that I took cocaine,” he admitted. Esin’s story highlights the toll a shattered dream can take on mental health.

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