When Akpan Udoh helped Nigeria win the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile in 2015, his future appeared tied to the nation whose colors he wore alongside future Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze.
More than a decade later, the previous Golden Eaglets goalkeeper is pursuing a world profession with Uganda, a rustic to which he has a household connection.
Udoh made his worldwide debut for Uganda on 2 October, conserving a clear sheet in a 2-0 pleasant victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His journey displays a rising development in African soccer, the place nationwide groups are trying past their borders for players who qualify via ancestry or naturalisation.
From Uganda and Malawi to Sudan and Benin Republic, a number of footballers born in Nigeria or with Nigerian heritage have discovered alternatives to represent other African countries. Their experiences range, starting from players who developed their careers overseas to these whose household ties have opened the door to worldwide soccer.
Uganda’s seek for heritage players
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) introduced on 27 September that Udoh and Kingdom Osayi were among nine players identified through its national team recruitment programme.
The initiative adopted a scouting train involving more than 200 potential heritage players, with 20 recognized for additional consideration.
Udoh, born on 18 July 1999, was a part of Nigeria’s 2015 Under-17 World Cup-winning squad. He qualifies to represent Uganda via his grandmother, Auma, who was born in Busia, in accordance to info printed about his recruitment.
Osayi, born on 3 June 2004 to Nigerian mother and father, qualifies via his maternal grandmother, who was born in Kaberamaido, Uganda.
Before his transfer to Swedish membership Assyriska FF, Udoh performed for a number of Nigerian golf equipment, together with Heartland, MFM, Doma United and Rangers International.
Osayi, in the meantime, had been concerned with Nigeria’s Under-23 crew setup however was not fielded on the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. Having not represented Nigeria in a match at that match, his path to Uganda differed from that of players who’ve already featured for an additional nationwide crew.
Both players’ recruitment displays Uganda’s efforts to widen its pool of obtainable expertise forward of worldwide assignments, together with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying marketing campaign.
For Udoh, the transition is especially hanging as a result of he beforehand represented Nigeria at youth degree. His Uganda debut has now taken his profession into senior worldwide soccer with one other nation.
Malawi’s Nigerian connection
Malawi affords one other instance of how footballers with Nigerian connections are discovering worldwide alternatives elsewhere in Africa.
Jubril Okedina, a defender who developed in English soccer, attracted dialogue a few potential future with Nigeria’s youth groups. He in the end dedicated his senior worldwide profession to Malawi, receiving his first senior call-up and making his debut in March 2024.
Forward Babatunde Adepoju adopted a special route.
Born and raised in Lagos, Adepoju constructed his skilled profession in southern Africa, significantly Malawi, the place he performed for golf equipment together with Blue Eagles, Masters Security, Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
After spending a number of years within the nation, he obtained Malawian citizenship via naturalisation. He has additionally expressed a need to give again to the nation that helped develop his soccer profession.
His worldwide breakthrough got here when he obtained his first call-up for Malawi’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying marketing campaign. He subsequently featured for the Flames of their aggressive fixtures and contributed to the crew’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying marketing campaign.
For Malawi, each players present further choices, illustrating how nationwide groups can strengthen their squads by recruiting eligible players with connections to other countries.
Adetunji’s transfer to Sudan
Former Nigerian worldwide Sunday Adetunji’s profession took one other flip in 2026 when he switched his worldwide allegiance to Sudan after establishing himself within the nation’s home sport with Al-Hilal Omdurman.
The ahead beforehand performed for a number of Nigerian golf equipment, together with Abia Warriors, Plateau United and Rivers United.
Adetunji had made one senior look for Nigeria, approaching instead in a 4-0 friendly defeat to Mexico on 4 July 2021.
His subsequent profession took him to North Macedonia and Serbia earlier than he moved to Sudan. His spell with KF Shkupi in North Macedonia was significantly productive: he scored 20 league targets in his debut season and helped the membership win its first league title.
His restricted senior involvement with Nigeria is related to his change of affiliation. FIFA permits sure players to change the nationwide affiliation they represent, however the course of is topic to situations involving nationality, earlier worldwide appearances, age and participation in main competitions.
A participant can’t change nationwide groups just because he has modified golf equipment or obtained one other passport. He should fulfill the relevant eligibility standards and safe formal approval the place required.
Adetunji’s case illustrates how a participant’s worldwide prospects can change after membership soccer takes him to one other nation, the place he could set up the authorized and sporting connection required to represent its nationwide crew.
Benin Republic: Family heritage and worldwide alternative
Benin Republic has an extended historical past of fielding footballers with Nigerian connections, reflecting the shut geographical, cultural and household ties between the neighbouring countries.
Among the players who illustrate this relationship are Junior Olaitan, Tosin Aiyegun and rising ahead Joseph Ede Oloko.
Olaitan was born in Porto-Novo, Benin, to a Nigerian father and a Beninese mom. He spent a lot of his youth in Lagos earlier than returning to Benin to be a part of Ayema FC in Porto-Novo.
His performances helped him earn a senior debut for Benin in 2021 and a transfer to French membership Niort in 2022.
“I started in Lagos, then I returned to Benin, where I started with Ayema FC,” he advised So Foot.
Olaitan’s story illustrates how household heritage and formative experiences in two countries can form a participant’s profession earlier than he reaches senior worldwide soccer.
Aiyegun was born in Lagos to a Nigerian father and a Beninese mom. He started his skilled profession in Latvia with FK Ventspils, the place he made 89 appearances, scoring 35 targets and offering 20 assists, earlier than shifting to FC Zürich and later Lorient.
He selected to represent Benin at senior degree in 2022 and began all 4 of the crew’s matches on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, together with its round-of-16 defeat to Egypt.
Oloko is among the many more current Nigerian-born players to earn a chance with Benin.
Born in Lagos, the striker developed with 36 Lion FC earlier than shifting to AS Cotonou in Benin and subsequently to Europe.
His performances for Latvian membership Liepāja in 2026 earned him a primary senior call-up from Benin coach Gernot Rohr in September.
Oloko has a Nigerian background via his birthplace and a Beninese connection via his mom, giving him hyperlinks to each countries.
“My mother is Beninese, so I have always had that link with Benin. I also have Nigerian roots, and I am proud of both sides of my identity,” he advised Joueurs Béninois.
His feedback provide a private clarification for such selections. Rather than presenting his alternative as a rejection of Nigeria, Oloko described an id that encompasses each countries.
The alternative is just not at all times about alternative
The motion of players between nationwide groups additionally works in the wrong way. Nigeria has benefited from footballers who developed overseas and selected to represent the Super Eagles.
Among the players who’ve not too long ago pursued this route is Felix Agu, the German-born defender who obtained clearance to represent Nigeria in 2025 after beforehand taking part in for Germany’s Under-21 crew in pleasant matches.
George Ilenikhena, born in Lagos and raised in France from the age of three, additionally featured for France’s youth groups, starting with the Under-16s in 2021.
Ilenikhena subsequently switched his worldwide allegiance to Nigeria and made a scoring debut for the Super Eagles in Uyo of their first match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 25 September.
These instances present how worldwide soccer brings collectively players formed by totally different improvement techniques, supplied they fulfill the related eligibility guidelines.
However, twin nationality doesn’t assure {that a} participant will select the nation with the more distinguished footballing historical past or better worldwide profile.
South African defender Ime Okon, who has a Nigerian father and a South African mom, has made his dedication to Bafana Bafana clear.
Born and raised in South Africa, Okon got here via the nation’s soccer system, together with SuperSport United, earlier than becoming a member of German membership Hannover 96. He made his Bafana Bafana debut towards Mozambique on the 2025 COSAFA Cup and scored his first worldwide purpose towards Zimbabwe three days later.
Despite being eligible for Nigeria via his father, he has maintained that his football identity is rooted in South Africa.
“I know where my heart lies,” he mentioned.
Okon’s place challenges the idea that players with twin nationality will mechanically select Nigeria due to the Super Eagles’ fame or the nation’s massive football-playing inhabitants.
Upbringing, private id and emotional attachment will be as essential as skilled alternative. While some players establish more carefully with the nation the place they grew up, others could place better emphasis on household heritage or the chance to represent a nationwide crew.
Their motivations differ, and their selections shouldn’t be handled as interchangeable.
What FIFA’s guidelines allow
FIFA’s eligibility rules decide who could represent a nationwide crew and beneath what circumstances a participant can change the nation they represent. The guidelines distinguish between possessing a rustic’s nationality and assembly the extra necessities to play for its nationwide crew.
Under FIFA’s Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, a participant should maintain the related nationality. Depending on the circumstances, the participant should additionally set up a recognised connection to the nation via birthplace, the birthplace of a organic dad or mum or grandparent, or a prescribed interval of residence.
For players who’ve by no means represented a rustic in an official competitors, the necessities differ from these governing players who’ve already performed for an additional nationwide affiliation.
Where a participant has acquired a brand new nationality, for example, FIFA’s guidelines usually require a qualifying connection via beginning, descent or residence. The qualifying residence interval is determined by the age at which the participant moved to the nation.
A participant who has represented one other nation in an official competitors may have formal approval from FIFA to change affiliation. Such a change is just not computerized and is determined by the participant’s worldwide document, nationality and the precise situations set out in Article 10 of the rules.
FIFA additionally distinguishes between official competitions and pleasant matches. Participation in an official competitors can tie a participant to a nationwide affiliation even at youth degree, supplied the participant has bodily taken half within the match. A pleasant look, against this, doesn’t by itself create that restriction.
Some players who’ve represented a rustic at senior worldwide degree should qualify to change affiliation, however solely beneath particular situations. These embrace provisions masking players with twin or a number of nationality who’ve made restricted senior appearances, in addition to other narrowly outlined circumstances.
The relevant necessities can embrace age limits, the timing of nationality acquisition, the variety of appearances and the interval for the reason that participant’s final senior worldwide match.
The guidelines due to this fact don’t give players an unrestricted proper to change nationwide groups just because they’ve obtained one other passport or moved overseas to play membership soccer. Each case is determined by the participant’s nationality, worldwide historical past and the relevant eligibility provisions, with formal approval required the place stipulated by FIFA.
Is Nigeria shedding expertise?
The recruitment of Nigerian-origin players by other African countries raises questions on whether or not Nigeria is shedding footballers who might have strengthened its personal nationwide groups.
Sports analyst Seun Anifowose feels detached, as a substitute, he believes Nigeria ought to deal with making the most effective use of the expertise accessible somewhat than attempting to stop players from representing other countries.
“The major task for football authorities is to provide an enabling environment that would allow for local talents to be discovered and nurtured into stardom,” Mr Anifowose advised PREMIUM TIMES.
He added: “If we have the right system in place, anyone that is deserving of a place in the national team will not be denied or hampered on any grounds, including ethnicity, religion or having a godfather. Those that are not good enough can take their skills elsewhere depending on what the guiding FIFA rules state.”
Football agent Friday Onajafe famous in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES that for a rustic with a big football-playing inhabitants and a historical past of manufacturing worldwide expertise like Nigeria, efficient scouting and communication with players overseas stay essential.
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He mentioned: “Domestic competitions and youth improvement constructions should present credible pathways into the nationwide groups.
“The query is just not whether or not Nigeria can or ought to stop players from representing other countries. Where players qualify for an additional nationwide crew and meet FIFA’s necessities, their selections should be revered.
“Rather, Nigeria must ensure that its football structures are organised enough to identify talent, maintain contact with eligible players and offer meaningful opportunities to those who wish to represent the country,” Mr Onajafe concluded.
As more African federations look past their borders, Nigeria’s problem is to develop its personal players whereas recognising that competitors for worldwide expertise now extends effectively past the normal boundaries of nationwide improvement techniques.
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