Why I Prefer England to Nigeria - Nigeria born Amputee Footballer

Why I Prefer England to Nigeria - Nigeria born Amputee Footballer

By Editor

A Nigerian born amputee footballer based in the United Kingdom Michael Isiguzo has declared his preference for England instead of his country of birth.

Featuring on the BCOS TV sports programme Weekend Sports produced by Adewale Tijani, Isiguzo confessed that he was looking forward to representing England at the Amputee Football World Cup.

Explaining the rationale behind his decision to the sports programme's anchor Tosin Sanya, the amputee footballer said unlike England which has a sound and rewarding organisation structure, Nigeria has a frustrating system that kills the morale and talents of athletes.

"If I have the opportunity of choosing between Nigeria and England, I will definitely chose England. Because I know England will go to the World Cup but Nigeria won't. Nigerian athletes have been let down so many times. And the attitude of Nigerian officials have not changed. I'm in touch with Nigeria, it's the same old story," Isiguzo said.

"People's hopes have been dashed so many times by Nigerian sports administrators. I don't want to experience such", he added.

Michael Isiguzo, who was an able footballer in Nigeria before relocating to England after sustaining a very serious injury that led to the amputation of one of his legs, had a bitter memory of Nigeria.

Before he sustained the injury that turned him to an amputee, Michael Isiguzo played for Eagle Cement of Port Harcourt and Stationery Stores of Lagos.

It was while he was playing for Stationery Stores that he was injured and the injured leg became infected due to improper treatments and was eventually amputated.

The amputee footballer recalled with bitterness that all football administrators in Nigeria, including NFF and Stationery Stores officials abandoned him.

"It was a very tough time for me to deal with. The situation was really terrible, every attempt I made to get in touch with NFF was futile. Nobody paid attention to me. The worst part of it was that even the sole administrator of the club I was playing for when I sustained the injury Stationery Stores publicly denied knowing me. So no one helped me when I was in need", he recalled sadly.

Born forty years ago in Owerri the capital of Imo state in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, Isiguzo relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000 and switched to amputee football.