Chuba Akpom Still Waiting For Super Eagles Call-Up Six Years After Switching Allegiance.
Former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom has expressed his continued desire to represent Nigeria, six years after pledging his international allegiance to the Super Eagles.
Akpom, who currently plays for Ajax, revealed in an interview with Omasports TV that he is yet to receive a call-up despite his commitment to the Nigerian national team since 2019.
“I try to give 100%, and I’ve been waiting since 2019. I switched allegiances a long time ago, but if it happens, it happens. And if not, I’ll just keep working hard,” Akpom said.
“Of course, I’m a Nigerian boy, I would love to play for Nigeria. I just haven’t had the chance to.”
When asked why he has not been considered for selection, Akpom admitted he had no clear answer but suggested that Nigeria’s wealth of attacking talent could be a factor.
“I don’t have a clue. Maybe because there are a lot of good strikers. But for a nation to progress, it needs to be on merit. Players that are performing need to be selected.”
The Challenge of Securing Nigerian Talent
The issue of Nigerian-born players opting for England has been a long-standing concern for Nigerian football fans. Several top players, including Bukayo Saka, Tammy Abraham, Eberechi Eze, Dominic Solanke, Fikayo Tomori, John Fashanu, and Gabby Agbonlahor, have chosen to represent the Three Lions instead of the three-time African champions.
However, Akpom believes that the lack of early opportunities in Nigeria’s football setup plays a significant role in these decisions.
“When you grow up in England, you play for England U16s, U17s, U18s, U19s, all the way up to U21s,” he explained.
“We never have the chance to play for Nigeria at those levels. It’s only when you start to break through in the first team that Nigeria would say, ‘Come and play for our nation.’
“So, it’s not that the players are switching over because they can’t play for England. It’s just that they haven’t had the opportunity to play for Nigeria from a young age.”
Akpom’s comments highlight the need for Nigerian football authorities to improve their scouting and development system to secure top talents before they commit to other nations. Whether the striker will eventually get his long-awaited chance with the Super Eagles remains to be seen.
