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In the wake of John Obi Mikel’s comments on players choosing to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria early in their career, we have put together a list of players who went that route without hesitation.
Representing the Super Eagles of Nigeria is a thing of pride, and one that a lot of players cherish and dream to achieve in their career.
However, just like with every other country, there are football players with the option of representing other nations as they were born there, but they opted for the green and white quite early in their career.
Who are the foreign-born players that chose Nigeria over other countries early in their career?
Tunji Banjo
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Tunji Banjo is a pioneering figure in Nigerian football, as he was the first foreign-born player to represent Nigeria.
He was born in Kensington, London, and played schoolboy football for Brent, Middlesex, and London Schools before joining Leyton Orient as an apprentice in 1977.
Banjo was eligible to play for Nigeria through his father, and he took this option, making his international debut against Tunisia in Lagos in 1980 at just 20 years old. He would go on to win a total of seven caps for Nigeria.
As one of the first generation of foreign-born professional players to don the green jersey, Banjo helped bridge the gap between Nigerian and European football.
Hope Akpan
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Hope Akpan was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, to Nigerian parents and he began his career at Everton at eight years old.
In 2013, at 22 years of age, Akpan declared his intention to represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and he received his first call-up in October 2014.
He made his debut on October 15, 2014, in an African Cup of Nations qualifying match, and would go on to win four caps for the Super Eagles.
Peter Osaze Odemwingie
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Osaze Odemwingie was born in Tashkent, in the former Soviet Union, to a Nigerian father (Peter Odemwingie Sr.) and a Russian Tatar mother (Raisa).
Odemwingie was one of the finest strikers to represent Nigeria after declaring to play for the nation very early in his career. The forward made his debut in 2002 as a 21-year-old and would go on to win 62 caps for the national side in a span of 12 years.
Leon Balogun
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Born in Berlin, West Germany, to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Leon Balogun was one part of the famous “Oyinbo Wall” that marshalled the Super Eagles defence for a couple of years.
Balogun received his first call-up for Nigeria in March 2014 for a friendly against Mexico as a replacement for Joseph Yobo. However, his debut was short-lived, as he went off injured after 20 minutes in a collision with signage on the touchline despite only coming on at half-time.
Balogun would go on to represent the Super Eagles 46 times from across eight years, winning a bronze medal at the 2019 AFCON.
William Troost-Ekong
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William Troost-Ekong was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother, Eleanore Troost, and a Nigerian father, and he is the other part of the “Oyinbo Wall.”
Despite representing the Netherlands at age-grade levels, Troost-Ekong made his senior international debut for Nigeria in 2012 as a 22-year-old.
He has represented the Super Eagles 71 times, and his tally of five goals at the AFCON is the current record for the highest number of goals scored by a defender in the history of the tournament.
Semi Ajayi
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Semi Ajayi was born in Crayford, England, to Nigerian parents and has already earned 39 caps for the Super Eagles to date.
The defender showed his readiness to represent Nigeria after honouring the call-up to join the U20 squad for their 2013 Toulon Tournament.
However, it was not until August 2018 before he received his first call-up to the national team for the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, and he described it as a "dream call-up.”
Josh Maja
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Josh Maja was born in the London Borough of Lewisham to Nigerian parents, and he grew up in Pimlico, London.
However, that never stopped him from heeding the clarion call when Nigerian national team manager Gernot Rohr extended an invitation to him in 2019.
He made his international debut on 10 September in a 2–2 friendly against Ukraine, replacing Victor Osimhen in added time, which is his only cap till date.
Calvin Bassey
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Calvin Bassey was born in Aosta, Italy, to Nigerian parents and was eligible to represent two nations: Italy and Nigeria.
However, he showed no hesitation to choose the Super Eagles, committing his international future to Nigeria after accepting a call-up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 2021.
He has earned 25 caps till date and is currently one of the Super Eagles’ most reliable defenders.
Maduka Okoye
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Maduka Okoye was born in Düsseldorf, Germany to an Igbo Nigerian father and a German mother.
However, that never stopped the goalkeeper from expressing his willingness to wear the green and white on the international scene in 2019.
He made his international debut in October 2019 as a substitute in a friendly match against Brazil, and was part of the 2021 AFCON Nations Cup squad.
Okoye has earned 16 caps for the Super Eagles, starting as first choice at the 2021 AFCON.
After a brief hiatus, he returned to the national team in 2023.
Joe Aribo
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Joe Aribo was born in Camberwell, England to Nigerian parents and he showed no hesitation after receiving a call-up in 2019.
He made his debut in a friendly against Ukraine on 10 September, 2019 - scoring in the fourth minute of the 2–2 draw.
Aribo was part of the squad that represented the country in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and has earned 34 caps for the Super Eagles.
Ola Aina
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Ola Aina was born in Southwark, London, England, to Nigerian parents, and he represented England at the youth level.
However, in 2017, the defender pledged his international future to Nigeria and obtained a Nigerian passport, which would make him eligible to represent the country.
It was in the same year he made his debut and has represented the country 40 times, featuring in three AFCON editions.
Reuben Agboola
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Born in Camden, London, Reuben Agboola was eligible to represent Nigeria through his father. Unlike others on this list, he did not receive his first call-up until he was 29 years old, but he made this list as a result of being the first dual-national player to represent Nigeria at a tournament.
The defender made his debut in 1991 and was part of the Super Eagles squad for the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations under Clemens Westerhof. He earned nine caps for the country between 1991 and 1993.
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