Desperate England Set to Extend National Team Invitation to 2 Players of Nigerian Descent
- Nigeria is on the verge of missing out on two talented midfielders, as the English FA has invited the stars
- If any of the duo appear in one of the upcoming matches, they will become provisionally cap-tied to England
- Consequently, they will need to make things formal by requesting a change of association from FIFA in case they change their mind
The English Football Association is making frantic efforts to cap-tie two promising talents of Nigerian origin.
Reports have it that Newcastle United midfielder Sam Alabi and Everton youngster Malik Olayiwola have both received international call-ups to the England U17 squad.
The pair will join the team as they prepare for the upcoming UEFA European U17 Championship qualifying round taking place in Glasgow.
Source: Getty Images
Although they have already played for the country at the same level, as Alabi captained the squad in two friendly matches played in September, their inclusion in the qualifiers carries greater significance.
Should any of the players feature in any of the matches, they will become provisionally cap-tied to England.
As a result, they will need to request a change of association formally, should they intend to play for Nigeria in the future.
The England U17 national team will take on Scotland on October 28 at the Excelsior Stadium, followed by a clash with Lithuania three days later, per All Nigeria Soccer.
Their last preparatory fixture is against Sweden, scheduled for November 3, as they begin their quest to qualify for next summer's finals in Estonia.
Before he got promoted to the U17 team, Olayiwola featured in ten matches for the England U16 team, while Alabi played eleven games, registering two assists.
At the club level, Alabi has already featured for the Newcastle United U19 and U21 sides in the UEFA Youth League and EFL Trophy, respectively.
Some Nigerian stars, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Ola Aina, played for England at the youth level before switching allegiance to play for the Super Eagles.
Chelle sends message to Nigerian descent
Only recently, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle made it clear that not every foreign-born Nigerian footballer will automatically earn a call-up to the national team.
Speaking in an interview with Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami on Eagle7Fm, Chelle reiterated that he remains focused on maintaining the quality and chemistry of the current squad.
“It is difficult to add more foreign players to the Super Eagles. We have players like Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi, and Victor Osimhen. If as a coach you want to add to these players, then whoever is coming must be better than them.”
Source: Getty Images
to request a change of association formally
Siasia speaks on players of Nigerian origin
Legit.ng earlier reported that Samson Siasia has opened up about the difference between the Super Eagles team during his time and the current generation, which has more European stars.
Siasia, speaking on a podcast with Emmanuel Babayaro, reflects on the path taken by players of his generation and what the Super Eagles are currently made up of.
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Source: Legit.ng
