Ex Nigeria international Mikel Obi has frowned at some players who deny their African root and prefer playing for non-African nations.
This criticism is made while there is racism scandal involving Enzo Fernández and his Argentine colleagues where they mimicked French players who could play for African nations during Copa America celebrations.
Examples of Dual-Nation Players Choosing Nigeria
Mikel supported his argument with examples of players who switched their allegiance from other countries to Nigeria.
For instance, Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman rejected a 2017 call-up by the former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr but decided to play for the England U20s in the FIFA U20 World Cup.
Lookman emerged the tournament’s champion but was never invited to the England senior team, made his debut for the Super Eagles in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
In a recent report from Sportsbuddy, Mikel Obi has come out to give his opinion on the recent racism scandal involving Enzo Fernández who with his Argentina teammates filmed themselves imitating French African players during celebrations of their Copa America triumph.
Mikel Obi Slams Shola Ameobi
Another example is Shola Ameobi, the main legend of Newcastle United, who opted for the choice of England.
Mikel humorously said, ‘Shola gave Nigeria a call when he was 29, almost 30 to come play for us… But he waited till he was past his best and decided to come play for Nigeria.’ Ameobi represented Nigeria eight times, scoring once and providing two assists. And Mikel stressed, “We are not a second option… These are the things I am talking about. ”
He urged players to cherish their African identity and not consider national teams as a plan B.
