Fulham Midfielder Tyrell Ojugo Snubs England, Declares Readiness to Represent Nigeria
- An English player has confirmed his readiness to represent the Nigerian men's national football team at the senior level
- The exciting midfielder is eligible to play for two different countries, namely England and Nigeria
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has already submitted his 54-man preliminary list for the 2025 AFCON
- Nigeria sports journalist Rabark Idowu explained that more players born outside Nigeria are ready to play
A central midfielder in the English Premier League has indicated his willingness to play for the Super Eagles under Eric Chelle.
The Franco-Mali coach has handed debuts to several players, including Felix Agu, Christantus Uche, and others.
Before his first match against Rwanda during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Chelle visited players who had yet to pledge their allegiance to their country of birth, as well as players playing in the English Premier League.
Source: Getty Images
The 48-year-old also used the 2025 Unity Cup and international friendly against Russia to test some of the players.
Unfortunately, Eric Chelle failed to qualify Nigeria for their second consecutive FIFA World Cup after losing to the Leopards of DR Congo 4-3 via penalty shootout.
The former Mali coach has shifted his attention to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria will be gunning for their fourth title.
Eric Chelle lost to Ivory Coast in the quarter-final of the 2023 AFCON edition in Abidjan, per ESPN. They will now hope to claim victory and will take on Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda in Group C.
Ojugo confirms Nigeria eligibility
Fulham youth player Tyrell Ojugo has reiterated his commitment to playing for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
According to All Nigeria, the central midfielder is eligible to play for Nigeria through his father and England through his mother.
Ojugo captained Fulham's U15 team this season on different occasions, exhibiting his leadership traits on and off the pitch.
Source: Getty Images
The midfielder is ready to follow the footsteps of players like Ola Aina, Dickson Etuhu, Ola Aina, Josh Maja, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey
The elder brother of Thierry Ojugo is currently featuring for AFC Wimbledon U16s.
Expect more foreign players - Idowu
Nigeria sports journalist Rabark Idowu said there will be more influx of foreign players jostling to play for the Super Eagles.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Idowu explained that with better facilities abroad, the players are easily exposed to a high level of football. He said:
"Most of the players play for academies at a very young age and get exposed to standard facilities. They get to choose the country they will play for after their age-grade tournaments.
"Whether we like it or not, there will be a high influx of foreign-born players into the Super Eagles."
Fans clamour for Okonkwo’s inclusion in squad
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles fans are calling on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure that the Technical Department and head coach Eric Chelle properly manage the call-up of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
One X user described the former Arsenal shot-stopper as “the next big thing” for the national team, while another said it would be “a dream come true” to see the 23-year-old don the iconic green-white-green jersey of Nigeria.
Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
