Nigeria, as we all know have had a lot of stars plying their trades in many European countries, these players tend to stay back and play for these countries in international competitions after grooming their skills in the country.
For some, the love of their motherland would not allow them to play for any other country – while others see a better chance abroad.
However, many players with dual citizenship have represented Nigeria since the nation’s first international game in 1949.
Today on Futnallnews, we are going to look at some players with second-nationality and how the Super Eagles team would’ve looked with them in the squad.
Maduka Okoye – GK (€3.50m)
Maduka Emilio Okoye, a Nigerian professional football goalkeeper for Watford and the Nigerian national team, was born on August 28, 1999.
The 22-year-old was still playing football in Germany’s fourth division with Fortuna Dusseldorf II as of 2019.
However, in 2020, when he was signed by Dutch Eredivisie team Sparta Rotterdam, his professional breakthrough occurred. The former Leverkusen player sparkled like a million stars, winning their award for best player in his rookie campaign.
The castle lords finished in eighth position thanks to Okoye, who stopped 68% of the bullets he faced.
Despite having to finish the season with Sparta Rotterdam before joining the Hornets, Watford of the Premier League took notice of his accomplishments in the Netherlands and signed him.
Abdul-Nasir Adarabioyo – DF (€15.00m)
Abdul-Nasir Oluwatosin Oluwadoyinsolami Adarabioyo, an English professional footballer who plays center back for Premier League team Fulham, was born on September 24, 1997.
Adarabioyo began his professional career at Manchester City, where he made his senior debut in 2016 after rising through the club’s development systems.
He later made eight appearances in all competitions, becoming the club’s youngest player to start a UEFA Champions League game at the time. He later had loan stints with West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers. In July 2020, he signed a long-term contract to join Fulham.
Although he has yet to make his senior England debut, Adarabioyo has played 14 times for his country as an England youth international between the under-16 and under-19 levels. Due to his ancestry, he is still qualified to represent Nigeria.
Manuel Akanji – DF ( €30.00m)
A defender for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Swiss national team, Manuel Obafemi Akanji was born in Switzerland on July 19, 1995.
A Nigerian father and a Swiss woman gave birth to Akanji in Wiesendangen, Switzerland.
For the Switzerland U-20 national team, Akanji made two appearances. On September 7, 2014, he made his professional debut in a scoreless tie with the German U-20 national team. He joined the Switzerland U-21 squad in 2014, and on March 26, he played in the team’s 0-3 loss to the Italian U-21 team.
He was called up to the national squad in 2021 for the 2020 UEFA European Championship, where the team advanced to the quarterfinals and caused one of the major sensations of the competition.
Destiny Udogie – DF (€17.00m)
Iyenoma Destiny Udogie, a professional footballer from Italy who was born on November 28, 2002, plays defense for Serie A team Udinese while on loan from Hellas Verona.
Udogie is of Nigerian heritage and was born in Italy. He represents Italy as a young international.
He made his debut on September 3, 2021, for the Italy U21 team, starting the 3-0 victory against Luxembourg in the qualifying match.
Bright Osayi-Samuel – DF ( €8.00m)
Bright Osayi-Samuel, a professional footballer from Nigeria who currently plays in the midfield for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe, was born on December 31, 1997.
Osayi-Samuel was born in Okija, Nigeria, and then traveled to Spain with his family. At the age of 10, he immigrated to England and settled in Woolwich, London.
Osayi-Samuel signed a pre-contract agreement on January 15, 2021, to sign with Fenerbahçe of Turkey for a four-year contract starting in July 2021. In an unexpected change of events, he was transferred right away to the club on January 23.
Wilfred Ndidi -MF ( €60.00m)
Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi, a Nigerian-born professional football player, now plays defensive midfield for Premier League team Leicester City as well as the Nigerian national team. He was born on December 16, 1996. Ndidi is renowned for his long-range attacks and strong defense.
While attending Nathaniel Boys of Lagos, Ndidi was a part of the Nigerian young setup. His exclusion from the African U-17 Championship with Nigeria and that of two other players came as a precaution after an MRI age test revealed he was just barely over the cutoff.
Despite this, he joined his compatriots in the U-20 team, helping to establish the foundation of the midfield. On October 8, 2015, he was called up to the senior Nigerian national football team.
He made his debut in the exhibition match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and returned a few days later in the 3-0 victory against Cameroon, coming on as John Obi Mikel’s replacement in the 63rd minute.
He was included in Nigeria’s preliminary 30-man World Cup roster in May 2018. The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) shortlisted Ndidi as a substitute alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on January 22, 2022, following the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 Group Stage.
Arnaut Danjuma – CF ( €50.00m )
Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld, a professional football player for the Netherlands and La Liga team Villarreal, was born on January 31, 1997. He plays as a winger.
Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld, a professional football player for the Netherlands and La Liga team Villarreal, was born on January 31, 1997. He plays as a winger.
He played for NEC in the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie, Club Brugge in the Belgian First Division A, and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League and EFL Championship after making one substitute appearance for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie. He committed to Villarreal in 2021 at a reported €25 million.
Danjuma received his first cap for the Dutch national team in October 2018. He was born in Nigeria and spent the majority of his childhood in the Netherlands. Three years later, he was called back up to the club.
Danjuma, who has a Dutch father and a Nigerian mother, was born in Nigeria and is qualified to play for either national team. In October 2018, Ronald Koeman issued his initial call-up for the Dutch national team.
He made his UEFA Nations League debut on October 13 in a 3-0 home victory against Germany, replacing Steven Bergwijn, a former Jong PSV colleague, in the 68th minute. Three days later, he equalized in a 1-1 friendly tie against Belgium on the road with his first goal for his country.
Danjuma joined the team once more to take Cody Gakpo’s place after going nearly three years without receiving a cap. He came off the bench and scored in a 6-0 victory against Gibraltar on October 11, 2021, in a home 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Dele Alli – AM (€16.00m)
Bamidele Jermaine “Dele” Alli, an offensive midfielder for Premier League Club Everton and the England national team, was born on April 11, 1996, in England.
He was born and raised in Milton Keynes, entered the Milton Keynes Dons development system at age 11, and made his debut for the main squad in 2012–13, five years later. He made 88 official appearances for the squad during the following two and a half years, scoring 24 goals.
He was loaned back to the Dons for the balance of the season after joining Tottenham Hotspur in February 2015 for an initial price of £5 million. Alli was selected for the PFA Young Player of the Year and the PFA Team of the Year in each of his first two seasons at White Hart Lane. In January 2022, he joined Everton.
Before making his senior debut in 2015, Alli competed for England’s U17, U18, and U19 squads. He was chosen for both the UEFA Euro 2016 and the FIFA World Cup 2018, when he helped England reach the semifinals.
Bukayo Saka – RM ( €65.00m)
Ayoyinka Bukayo T. M. Saka, an English professional football player for Premier League club Arsenal and the England squad, was born on September 5, 2001. He plays as a winger, left-back, or midfielder. Saka is regarded as one of the top young football players in the world and is well renowned for his attacking incisiveness and creativity.
Saka has played for Arsenal for his whole professional career and has won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield while steadily developing into one of the team’s most productive and important players. He was selected Arsenal’s player of the season after the 2020–21 and 2021–22 campaigns.
Saka has played 27 times for England at various youth levels, scoring six goals. On October 1, 2020, he received his first call-up to the senior team. Eight days later, he made his debut in a friendly against Wales, starting the game that the team won 3-0.
Tammy Abraham – CF ( €50.00m )
Oghenetega Kevin Tamaraebi Bakumo-Abraham, also known as Tammy Abraham, is an English professional football player who competes for both the England national team and Serie A club Roma. Tammy Abraham was born on October 2, 1997.
Abraham, a Chelsea youth alumnus, made his first-team debut for the squad in 2016 before spending a season on loan with Bristol City of the Championship.
He had a fantastic season there, culminating in his becoming the first player to ever win the club’s Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season, and top goalscorer trophies in the same calendar year.
Abraham then spent more time on loan with Swansea City, although the club’s season ended with relegation from the Premier League. He later joined Aston Villa in 2018 and made club history by scoring 25 goals in a single season for the first time since 1977.
Abraham previously competed for England at the youth international level, starting at the under-18 level, and he participated in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Poland. In November 2017, he made his senior debut.
Victor Osimhen – CF (€65.00m)
Victor James Osimhen, a striker for Serie A side Napoli and the Nigerian national team, was born in Nigeria on December 29, 1998.
Osimhen, a Nigerian-born player, started his senior career in Germany in 2017 with VfL Wolfsburg. After spending a season and a half with the team, he moved on loan to Charleroi in Belgium in 2018–19 before joining Lille in France. Osimhen moved to Serie A team Napoli in 2020 for a club-record €70 million.
Osimhen was summoned by Nigerian national team coach Gernot Rohr for a friendly match against Ukraine on September 10 in Dnipro Arena, Ukraine, which finished in a 2-2 draw on August 14. By defeating Lesotho 3-0, the Super Eagles successfully qualified for the AFCON.
However, according to his club, Osimhen missed the African Cup of Nations because of COVID-19. A Nigerian sports lawyer responded to this claim by writing to express his shock over the claimed plan of Osimhen’s club team, SSC Napoli, to deny Nigeria the services of their star striker.
