Nigerian singer Charles Chibuezechukwu, professionally known as Crayon, has shed light on how certain officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) allegedly thwarted his dreams of becoming a footballer.
“I tried to become a professional footballer, but it didn’t work out for me because football in Nigeria is quite dicey,” said Crayon in a recent interview with Cool FM. “There is a lot of corruption. I don’t want to mention names because it might hurt some people. They are big names – top officials.”
The singer disclosed this while recounting how he battled depression in 2015 due to his inability to secure a university admission while his friends were able to.
Failing to gain admission into the university like his peers, Crayon said he was determined to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
“It was so boring. I didn’t have anything to do, nowhere to go,” Crayon said as he recounted his ordeal while seeking adminssion. “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?”
Crayon’s aspirations led him to participate in a screening in Lagos, where he was initially selected but later dismissed by the alleged corrupt NFF officials.
The “Overloading” crooner recalled that sometime at the Surulere National Stadium, he was replaced due to financial influence, leading to his disappointment and subsequent depression.
“At a time I went for one screening in Surulere, they 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,” he stated.
With university and football career paths blocked, Crayon turned to music in 2016 and came into the limelight in 2019 when he signed with Blowtime Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mavin Records.
According to the singer, being the first child and grandchild put immense pressure on him, especially given his parents’ financial instability.
He said coping with the challenges led him into certain vices that he refrained from discussing openly.
His debut album, “Trench To Triumph,” was released recently. The thirteen-track album features previously released hits like “Ijo (Laba Laba),” a summer anthem that resonated across social media platforms, amassing over ten million streams since its release.
