Huge Blow for Eric Chelle and Super Eagles As Noah Atubolu Earns First Germany Call-up
- The Nigeria Football Federation has lost the battle after a Super Eagles hopeful earned his first call-up for Germany
- NFF has been on the heels of many foreign-born players over switching their international allegiance to play for Nigeria
- Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo is currently the most high-profile player that the federation is chasing after
The Nigeria Football Federation has lost a battle after a Nigeria-eligible player earned his first call-up for the Germany national team.
NFF has in recent times made efforts to convince players of multiple nationalities to switch their international allegiance and play for the Super Eagles.
Source: Getty Images
Franco-German manager Gernot Rohr, who was the head coach from 2016 to 2021, spearheaded the discussions with these players in the past decade.
Captain William Troost-Ekong ditched the Netherlands for Nigeria, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, and others dumped England for Nigeria.
Ekong and Lookman are the best examples: the Dutchman became the Super Eagles captain, while the Englishman won the CAF Best Award barely two years after his switch.
A few other players have ignored the NFF’s call, including Joshua Zirkzee, who plays for the Netherlands, and Karim Adeyemi, who plays for Germany.
Other examples are the likes of Bukayo Saka, Tammy Abraham, and Fikayo Tomori, all of whom chose to play for the England national team.
Noah Atubolu earns first Germany call-up
According to DFB, the German national team has handed Noah Atubolu his first call-up, dealing a huge blow to Nigeria's chances of getting him.
The DFB confirmed in a statement on their X page that the SC Freiburg goalkeeper has replaced TSG Hoffenheim shot stopper Oli Baumann, who withdrew due to illness.
Atubolu will no longer be eligible to play for Nigeria again if he features in any of the matches against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland in the World Cup qualifier.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper has been one of the best in Germany recently and set a new Bundesliga record after saving five consecutive penalties in the league.
He was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father. He represented Germany at youth levels and has expressed his desire to represent the country of his birth.
Source: Getty Images
“Of course, I really want to get the chance to play for the senior national team. I have played for the national team in various age groups. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I have a desire to strengthen the senior national team,” he said as quoted by Punch.
The news of his Germany call-up is a huge blow to Nigeria, which sees him as a long-term presence in goal with Stanley Nwabali approaching his 30s.
Nnamdi Collins dumped Nigeria for Germany
Legit.ng previously reported that Nnamdi Collins dumped Nigeria for Germany after making his international debut during the 2-0 loss to Slovakia.
The promising defender had a debut to forget as he was complicit in the goal Germany conceded in the first half, and Julian Nagelsmann substituted him at halftime.
Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: Legit.ng
