JUST IN: Arsenal Star Dumps England, Ready To Play For Nigeria
There are reports that Arsenal star Joseph Olowu has expressed his desire to play for Nigeria having played for the England U23 national team.
Olowu who was born in Ibadan in 1999 is not age-eligible to join the Flying Eagles at the 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He also cannot play in the 2024 Olympic Games for the West African nation, but has a chance to play for the Nigerian senior national team.
In a recent live chat on Instagram with Eagles Tracker, the 20-year-old was quoted as saying he is looking forward to playing for the Nigerian national team.
“It is something I’ve always looked forward to, so I don’t think I would be overwhelmed.
“Of course, I’ll be very excited and very grateful for the opportunity, but I would not let that affect how I perform.
“When the opportunity does come, I’ll take it with both hands and just show what I know I can do and enjoy it for sure,” Olowu told Eagles Tracker in an Instagram Live.
And this is coming barely four days that Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria who is currently on loan to Sky Bet Championship club Reading committed his future to Nigeria.
The 22-year-old who was part of the England U-20 side that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017 will now represent Nigeria at the senior national team.
Ejaria who was born in London to Nigerian parents failed to make the Golden Eaglets squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
“Ovie Ejaria has committed to Nigeria, a Super Eagles team source tells me. Paperwork is already with FIFA, and Nigerian passport needs to be renewed.
“All but settled for the Liverpool man who is on loan at Reading,” former Super Eagles midfielder and ESPN journalist, Colin Udoh on Wednesday.
ngnews247.com earlier reported that Former Super Eagles forward Chinedu Obasi has claimed that his refusal to pay bribe was responsible for his omission to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
In an Instagram chat with Kelechi Benard, the 33-year-old forward who played for Bundesliga giants Schalke as at that time lamented the ordeal, saying he was sad.
Although he was not part of the team that played the World Cup qualifiers as at that time, Obasi stated that he was offered a chance to be part of the party to Brazil if he paid bribe.