Arsenal and England wonderkid Bukayo Saka was recently photographed in Lagos as he made the trip to Nigeria.
He visited the birthplace of his Yoruba parents, in order to reconnect with his Nigerian roots and explore the rich culture that shaped his upbringing.
Saka was born in England and elected to represent the Three Lions at international level instead of the Super Eagles. We take a closer look at some of the best players who chose to play for different countries on the world stage instead of the Nigeria national team.
Tammy Abraham – England
Abraham established himself as a reliable striker for Chelsea in 2019, top scoring for the Blues in his first season as a starter before winning the UEFA Champions League. This earned him a move to AS Roma, where he starred once more for Jose Mourinho’s side as they won the 2022 UEFA Conference League. Abraham’s father Oghenetega Tamaraebi was originally from the Bayelsa state of Nigeria, meaning that London-born Abraham could have chosen to lead the line for the Super Eagles before he pledged his future to England.
David Alaba – Austria
One of the most decorated defenders of his generation, Austria captain David Alaba has won the lot at club level playing for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Eligible to play for Nigeria through his Yoruba father, Alaba had desires to play in the green and white at the 2007 FIFA World Youth Championship but was never approached due to the national team’s preference to pick home-grown talents for the squad – a decision that they may have come to regret since.
Manuel Akanji – Switzerland
Born to a Nigerian father who relocated to Switzerland from Lagos, Manuel Akanji made a name for himself as a youngster at FC Basel before moving to Borussia Dortmund, and then Manchester City, where he has become an important cog in Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing machine. In a similar turn of events to Alaba, Akanji was never approached by the Nigeria National Team before representing his country of birth, Switzerland, who he has since represented at two FIFA World Cups.
Jamal Musiala – Germany
One of Europe’s brightest young prospects, Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala had a tough decision to make with regards to his international career. Despite having established himself as one of the first names in the Germany team in the last 12 months, Musiala represented England up until Under-21 level alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham, but also spoke with members of the Nigeria setup about representing the Super Eagles, who he was eligible to play for through his Yoruba father. But he opted to select Germany, his nation of choice.
Fikayo Tomori – England
Much like Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori excelled at youth level for Chelsea before moving to Italy, where he won the 2022 Serie A as a key member of the AC Milan defence. Born in Canada to Nigerian parents, Tomori said that choosing to represent England over Nigeria was one of the hardest decisions of his career after spending much of his childhood following the Super Eagles alongside his parents. He has since won three caps for the Three Lions but has stated that he still feels “very Nigerian” due to his upbringing as a child.
