ANALYSIS Folarin Balogun: Should Nigeria have pushed harder?

The Super Eagles lost the Arsenal loanee to the USMNT, with the striker unveiled last week after FIFA approved his allegiance switch from England.

Folarin Balogun will represent the United States of America, ending a protracted period of uncertainty over the striker’s international future.

The striker was eligible to play for the USMNT — the country of his birth — England — where he was nurtured — and Nigeria — where his parents were born. The US effectively beat the Three Lions to the Arsenal loanee, with the Super Eagles not even in the conversation.

According to the Athletic, Balogun was approached in 2021 and before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but the Arsenal academy product felt it was not the right time. That persistence eventually paid off for the Americans, who have the centre-forward befitting of a talented squad.

Balogun scored his 20th Ligue 1 goal for Reims on loan from Arsenal over the weekend, although it was not enough to secure maximum points for the hosts, who played out a 2-2 draw with cellar-dwelling Angers.

Only three players — Kylian Mbappe (28), Alexandre Lacazette (26) and Jonathan David (22) — have netted more than the on-loan Reims centre-forward, underscoring a successful season away from the Emirates Stadium.

Last week’s announcement was a coup for the USMNT, but should Nigeria have pushed harder?

Understanding Nigeria’s indifference to Balogun

While some observers will criticise the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for not making a concerted effort for the young forward, there is some mitigation.

The key reason is the presence of a plethora of talent in that position for the Super Eagles, with Victor Osimhen as the team’s incontestable superstar.

Osimhen’s talent has been described as “stratospheric” by Luciano Spalletti, with the Napoli trainer’s coaching of the player bringing about this year’s goal return — the highest of the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner’s career.

The Partenopei forward is unlikely to become second-choice for the Super Eagles, form and injuries permitting, so that would have been a hard sell by the NFF.

Furthermore, the other options competing for a centre-forward spot meant Balogun was not a priority. Excluding Osimhen, the initial Super Eagles squad for the Guinea-Bissau double-header in March comprised Terem Moffi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Paul Onuachu, while the likes of Umar Sadiq and Cyriel Dessers, who missed out for varying reasons, are in reserve.

The talented Gift Orban — eligible for the Super Eagles and Togo — and Victor Boniface have had commendable campaigns at Gent and Union Saint-Gilloise, further highlighting the talent pool available to the three-time African champions.

Balogun’s talent is unquestionable, but the 21-year-old was going to be just another face in the Nigeria squad.

There was reported interest in having the then-teenager play for Nigeria in the U20 World Cup held in 2019. But that was unsubstantiated despite the striker keeping his options open at the time.

Three years later, Balogun reiterated that much in an interview with BBC Sport Africa.

“I haven't heard anything from Nigeria, but I'm open to anything because Nigeria is very close to my heart," said the striker in October 2022. "My family's from there. I always have love for Nigeria.”

Four years down the road, with little or no united effort to seduce Balogun, that ship has undoubtedly sailed.

Why was England an underwhelming sell?

Despite representing England’s U17s, U18s, U20s and the Young Lions, the lure of England was not sufficient enough.

Harry Kane is unlikely to be displaced as the Three Lions’ centre-forward until he slows down or retires from international duty, while match action when the Tottenham Hotspur forward is absent is far from guaranteed.

Marcus Rashford may favour playing off an out-and-out striker in an inside-left spot, but the Manchester United forward is a likely replacement for Kane.

Callum Wilson, Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney (when he returns from an eight-month ban) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (if he stays fit) are Premier League strikers vying for a place behind Kane. Roma’s Tammy Abraham is also a body in contention.

Even though Balogun’s talent is acknowledged, there was no clear pathway provided by England to be the Three Lions’ superstar striker.

Why the USMNT was a no-brainer

Balogun’s switch to the United States seems reasonable on paper, just as much as it should be in reality.

The USMNT’s centre-forward bugbear was laid bare at last year’s finals in Qatar when Gregg Berhalter started Josh Sargent in their Group B opener against Wales, Haji Wright against England and Sargent in the deciding fixture with Iran.

In their Round of 16 defeat by the Netherlands, Jesus Ferreira played from the off before his half-time withdrawal, highlighting the former manager’s search for a reliable centre-forward.

It was striking that none of the starting centre-forwards found the back of the net at the finals, even if Wright netting the United States' only goal in their 3-1 defeat to the Dutch should not go unnoticed.

The USMNT hope the search ends with Balogun, but that is only half the story of the broader ambition of convincing the Arsenal loanee.

America, Mexico and Canada are joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, and the USMNT hopes to better the Round of 16 elimination in 1994 (when they last hosted) and 2002 (when they made it to the quarter-finals for the first time).

Only Ghana (24.7) had a lower average age than the United States (25.2) at last year’s finals, so that group could grow together over the next three years before the quadrennial showpiece comes around in 2026.

Being one of the key players for the host nation must have appealed to Balogun, who may not have had a similar standing with Nigeria or the Three Lions.

“My decision to represent the United States came together with my family,” he said. “We decided it would be the right thing for me to represent the country I was born in.

“In the end, it became a no-brainer, but for sure, it’s just something I wanted to do, and it feels like I’m at home here.”

The ship sailed long ago for Nigeria, and England could not provide a pathway. Opting for the USMNT feels like an opportunity grasped for the 21-year-old, who could be one of the stars of the 2026 finals on home soil.