Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has criticized players of Nigerian descent who treat Nigeria as a backup option, only opting to play for the country when they fail to secure call-ups from their country of birth.
Several players with Nigerian roots, such as Manuel Akanji, Bukayo Saka, Jamal Musiala, Folarin Balogun, and David Alaba, have chosen to represent their birth countries, making this decision early in their careers.
Obi emphasized that he has no issue with players making early decisions about their international careers, whether it’s to wait for a call-up or switch nationalities. However, he strongly disapproves of players who delay their choices until their peak performance has declined before exploring their ancestral roots.
The former Chelsea player has urged these players to stop using Nigeria as a fallback option when they miss out on playing for their European country of birth.
“Most of these players are known to always be on the sidelines during their prime waiting for a call-up play for the likes of England, France, Germany, etc, but in their late 20s when the opportunity to get called up to those high-profile countries have waned, they reach out to their ancestral countries looking for a chance to play for them,” The 37-year-old said during The Obi One Podcast.
“They want to play for England, France, whatever it is and then they wait. When they get to 25 or 26 and they don’t get a call up from England, then they call Nigeria. We shouldn’t be treated as second options. You should be proud of your African roots, you should be proud to represent your African country.
“If you decide you want to play for England, stick to it. Sit and wait, but don’t wait till 29 or 30, you’ve passed your best, then you’re like ‘Oh, Nigerian FA I’m ready to play for you now’, no, f–k off mate.”
A couple of players who come to mind include Dominic Solanke, Chuba Akpom and a host of others.
