The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick has said the football governing body is not going to run after players of dual nationality to come and play for the Super Eagles.
The former Delta State FA chairman who spoke during a live session on NFF’s official Instgram page yesterday said only players with “the keen interest and resolve” would be encouraged.
It will be recalled that George Abbey, Efan Ekoku, Reuben Agboola, David Adiele and Efe Sodje are some of Nigerian players born abroad but chose to represent their country of origin.
And recently Alex Iwobi, Leon Balogun, William Troost Ekong, Victor Moses, Joe Aribo, Bryan Idowu and Tyronne Ebuhehi dumped their adopted countries to play for the Super Eagles.
But after losing Chelsea’s duo of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori to England, some Nigerians have continued to prod the NFF to quickly approach the likes of Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, Dominic Iorfa Jnr of Sheffield Wednesday, Ebere Eze of Queens Park Rangers, Ademola Lookman of Everton and a host of other players with dual nationality before they would be taken away.
However, Pinnick feels differently as he maintained that the football federation won’t compel or beg any player to accept to play for Nigeria.
He was quoted yesterday as saying “Nigeria would not beg any player to represent her. It is about ardour and fervour.
“If a player has decided for Nigeria and only want to be assured that he would be much welcome, we will come in and provide that assurance.”
In another development, the NFF also promised to support for clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nigeria Nationwide League for next season’s football campaign as a result of challenges that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pinnick said the NFF is at the moment expecting a total sum of $1million from world football-governing body, FIFA, and another $500,000 from the African confederation, CAF.
“We would take from these various monies and add also from monies that we are expecting from our corporate partners, and see what we can give to each of the Clubs in these four cadres,” he said.
