The minister for Youth and Sports in Nigeria Sunday Dare has sent a word of advice to the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) on best way to approach players born abroad who are eligible to play for the senior national team of Nigeria.
NFF alongside coach Gernot Rohr have been active in trying to convince players born abroad to switch allegiance to the senior national team of Nigeria with a high rate of success so far. Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori both of Chelsea are the two celebrated cases of players who turned down Nigeria.
They were courted by the NFF almost at same time when the handlers of the senior national team of England were also keen on them as both players already represented them at youth level. At the end they went for England ahead of Nigeria.
On ways to avoid such disappointment in the future, Dare said the idea should be approaching the players early enough and not wait until the country of their birth or that they have represented also want them.
“Don’t wait until the player is fully developed and 5 steps from the European nations national squad before you decide to contact them last minute to consider Nigeria”, he said.
Presently in the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye, Leon Balogun, Bryan Idowu, Tyronne Ebuehi, Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Joe Aribo, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and the freshly invited duo of Cyriel Dessers and Kingsley Ehizibue are players eligible for other nations who are senior international with the Super Eagles.
Osas Mahawi
