Reports say four Nigerian players plying their trade in England, have been invited to play for the English U-21 squad to play against USA next month.
The players, Jordon Ibe (Liverpool), Chuba Akpom (Hull City on loan from Arsenal), Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspurs) and Dominic Iorfa (Wolves), have all earned call ups as announced by the English FA on Tuesday.
Dele Alli is one of the prospects Nigerians expect to feature for the African country in the nearest future
Football Naija reports that although the players are still eligible to represent the country at the senior level, there is a growing skepticism that they may have been convinced to switch allegiance to their country of birth.
Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh had reportedly traveled to England last month to convince Liverpool’s Jordon Ibe to play for the Nigerian senior team but the young man, alongside Iorfa, whose father was an ex-international and is a football administrator in the country, may have opted for England instead.
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Jordon Ibe, who stars for English Premier League giants, Liverpool, is yet to state which senior national team he would like to represent
However, the older Iorfa told Africanfootball.com that his son would only represent the country when he is about 23 years, majorly because “a lot is going on” in Nigeria’s age-grade competition.
Chuba Akpom, the Arsenal loanee to Hull City is almost certain to take after his uncle, Austin Okocha, and play for Nigeria
He added: “My boy will still play for Nigeria, but that will be when he is 23, much older and mature, because a lot of things are going on in the age-group teams and nobody wants to be messed up.”
Akpom and Alli who have both represented England at all youth international levels from the U-16 to U-20, are also eligible to play for Nigeria in as much as they are yet to star for the senior team of any other country.
BARNET, ENGLAND – MARCH 25: Dominic Iorfa of England in action during the U20 International Friendly match between England and Mexico at The Hive on March 25, 2015 in Barnet, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
England Under-21s squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn (Manchester City), Jordan Pickford (Preston North End, on loan from Sunderland), Christian Walton (Bury, on loan from Brighton)
Defenders: Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Brendan Galloway (Everton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Kortney Hause (Wolves), Dominic Iorfa (Wolves), Jack Stephens (Middlesbrough, on loan from Southampton), Matt Targett (Southampton)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
Forwards: Chuba Akpom (Hull City, on loan from Arsenal), Jordon Ibe (Liverpool), Solly March (Brighton), Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), Duncan Watmore (Sunderland), James Wilson (Manchester United), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham).
Only yesterday, reports surfaced about a French-born Nigerian athlete, Ayodele Ikuesan, who is seeking to dump her country of birth for her Nigerian roots.
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