Super Eagles legend, Daniel Amokachi,World Cup Champion, Gilberto Silva and FIFA ambassador, amongst others have advocated for global awareness to combat youth mental health challenges.
The football stars spoke at a United Nations (UN) high-profile event tagged ‘One World, One Game, One Goal: Football For The Goals (FFTG) Initiative’ at the (UN) headquarters in New York.
The event, convened by the UN Youth Affairs Office, brought together member states, young leaders, policymakers, and athletes including Pop Mensah-Bonsu, basketball executive and former NBA player, former Chelsea FC, Eniola Aluko to highlight the power of sports in promoting mental well-being.
Sharing his personal struggles, Amokachi the Olympic gold medalist recounted how an unexpected injury ahead of the 1998 World Cup derailed his career and severely impacted his mental health.
“Before the World Cup in France, a very good friend of mine and I had a planned to end up in Serie A or the Premiership. We had our calculations, but God had His,” Amokachi said.
“We went to the World Cup, I got injured, went under the knife, and six months later, doctors told me I couldn’t play football anymore. That was when mental health challenges hit me.”
The former Everton forward said the experience inspired him to set up the Daniel Amokachi Eduplus Youth Development Foundation, which focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, peace, justice and strong institutions.
“When it comes to mental health, the context of addressing it in Europe or America is different from the way you tackle it in Africa,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Felipe Paullier, the assistant secretary-general for youth affairs, stressed that sustainable development cannot be achieved without prioritizing youth mental well-being.
“Certainly, because of technology, change can sometimes make the future feel unpredictable,” Paullier said.
“But this is certain: young people are not standing still. They have built connections where others see division.
“In every country I have visited, one issue always comes up: mental health. For young people, mental health is about care and connections.”
The UN initiative mobilises the football community to drive the SDGs, leveraging the world’s most popular sport to build a sustainable and peaceful future.