Theophilus Afelokhai, who served as both captain and first-choice goalkeeper for Kano Pillars during one of the club's most celebrated periods, has given fans an intimate glimpse into his life away from football — and offered some warm words about where the NPFL currently stands as a competition.
Speaking to Completesports.com on Friday from his home in Kaduna, the 38-year-old revealed that his 17-year-old son, Precious Afelokhai, had been determined to follow him into goalkeeping — and that it took one particularly gruelling training session to change the young man's mind.
"My son, Precious Afelokhai, 17, wanted to be a goalkeeper, but I kept discouraging him," Afelokhai said. "I told him time after time that he was better off as an outfield player, but he kept looking at my successes in goalkeeping as encouragement. Most times when I'm not around, he would take my gloves and go out for training as a goalkeeper."
The turning point came when the former Pillars captain decided to show his son exactly what goalkeeping demands at a serious level. "One day, I took him out for training and after that everything changed. I took him through a serious, strenuous session, and he stopped training as a goalkeeper and moved to playing as an attacker — a position which, till date, I believe suits him most and where I wanted him to play."
Afelokhai, who is currently a free agent after completing a two-year contract with Rivers United, built his career across three of Nigerian football's biggest clubs — Kano Pillars, Enyimba and Rivers United. He made no secret of the fact that his earning power throughout that journey was exceptional, even by the standards of outfield players.
"You know what? Even as a goalkeeper, I was the highest-paid player in Nigeria — go and verify. Not only when I was at Kano Pillars as captain, but also while I was at Enyimba and Rivers United. So, you can ask yourself how much I would have made if I were a striker and in that form during that period." His monthly salary at Kano Pillars stood at N2 million, a figure that rose to N8 million when he moved to Enyimba. He likened his potential earnings as a striker to those of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Away from his personal story, Afelokhai was generous in his praise for the NPFL leadership under Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye. He highlighted what he sees as a landmark achievement: structuring the 2025/2026 season so that it concludes on Sunday, 24 May 2026 — the exact same day the English Premier League season ends.
For Kano Pillars supporters, that date carries real weight. The club travels to face Plateau United on Matchday 38, and with the NPFL title still undecided heading into the final round of fixtures, every game on that day matters. Afelokhai pointed out that this is precisely what makes the season special — unlike the EPL, where the champion was confirmed before the final day, the domestic league title will only be settled after all Matchday 38 results are in.
"Such development is a good advertisement for the domestic league," he said, framing the achievement as clear evidence of the progress made by the current NPFL management. For a man who gave so much to this club and to Nigerian football, it is good to hear that Afelokhai still cares deeply about where the game is headed.