Meet 10 Nigerian Footballers Who Have Never Played For Nigeria
Nigeria is a blessed country filled with raw talents and prospects especially in football and many of these talented footballers who are of Nigeria descents chose to play for other countries.Below are 10 talented Nigerian footballers who have never played for the Nigerian national team.
1. Oguchi Onyewu
Oguchialu Chijioke “Oguchi” Onyewu is an American central defender who is currently a free agent. Onyewu’s parents moved to the United States from Nigeria to study in Washington, D.C. They are from the Igbo ethnic people of Nigeria. He made his first appearance for the senior national team on October 13, 2004, against Panama.
2. Angelo Ogbonna
Nigerian-born Angelo Obinze Ogbonna is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for West Ham United and the Italian national team.
Ogbonna was born to Nigerian parents who emigrated to Italy from Nigeria in 1983.
3.Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. He previously played for English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, as well as French sides Metz and Monaco and Spanish team Real Madrid. He was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008.
4. Dennis Aogo:
Born to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Dennis Aogo is a German professional footballer who plays as a left back and left wing-back or midfielder for Schalke 04. The 30-year old footballer once revealed in an interview that Nigeria once invited him to play for the national team which he turned down.
5. David Alaba:
David Olatokunbo Alaba was born in Vienna to a Filipino mother (a nurse) and a Nigerian father, (a DJ and former rapper). He is an Austrian professional footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich and the Austria national team. He holds Austria’s record as the youngest player to play for their senior national team, debuting for them in 2009 as a 17-year-old. He has played in a multitude of roles, including central midfield, central defence, right and left wing, but has since blossomed as a left-back.
6. Stefano Okaka Chuka:
Stefano Chuka Okaka was born in Castiglione del Lago, Perugia, Italy to Nigerian parents who later obtained Italian citizenship. Okaka joined the Roma youth system in 2004.
He is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Watford and the Italy national team.He is currently an Italian International who plays as a striker for Spezia Calcio on loan from Serie A club Parma. In April 2014, Okaka revealed he talked with the Nigeria Football Federation about the possibility of him playing with the Nigeria national football team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
However, Okaka was included in the Italy squad for their friendly against Albania on 18 November 2014 by manager Antonio Conte.
7. Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan “Gabby” Agbonlahor was born 13 October 1986. Agbonlahor was one of four children born to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother in Birmingham. The English professional footballer plays as a striker for Championship club Aston Villa.
Gabriel is another player of Nigerian descent who opted to the English side.
8. Patrick Olukayode Owomoyela
Patrick Owomoyela was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father. Owomoyela plays as a right-sided defender/midfielder.He has been capped by Germany at international level and was a member of the squad at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
9. Nedum Onuoah:
Chinedum “Nedum” Onuoha is footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers. He is a defender, typically a centre back, but he can also play at right back or left back. Born in Warri, Nigeria, Onuoha was brought up in Manchester, England.
In March 2007, Onuoha received an international call up from Nigeria, but announced he would like to play for England at full international level. Onuoha has never been capped by England at international level.
10. Chuba Akpom
Chuba Amechi Akpom, 21, is an English professional footballer of Nigerian descent who plays as a striker and centre forward for Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Arsenal.
He has represented England at youth international levels. There were rumours that several distinguished Nigerian football stakeholders, including ex-Arsenal hero Nwankwo Kanu and Amaju Pinnick,the president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), had attempted to convince the Hale End Academy product to switch allegiance to Nigeria without success.
Courtesy Stargist
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