Werder Bremen’s Justin Njinmah has revealed the ideal situation that could make him represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria despite his ambition of playing for Germany.
Born and raised in Germany, Njinmah’s Nigerian father makes him eligible to represent the Super Eagles. Although he hasn’t played for Germany at any level, the 23-year-old has been a regular figure in the German Bundesliga since signing his first professional contract with Werder Bremen on January 6, 2022.
However, Njinmah was loaned to Borussia Dortmund II, where he registered 18 goals and seven assists across 50 appearances in the 2021/22 season. The Hamburg-born winger returned to Bremen, providing six goals and two assists in 25 Bundesliga games for the River Islanders.
Speaking in an interview with Kicker, Njinmah disclosed his optimism for an invitation to Die Mannschaft, despite missing out on Julian Nagelsmann’s EURO 2024 squad.
“It was pretty clear to me that I had no chance (of making Germany’s Euro 2024 squad),” Njinmah said. “Nevertheless, I know that they have me on their radar. I haven’t had a discussion with anyone from the German team yet, but of course, that’s a big goal of mine that I hope I can achieve.”
Despite his goal of making the German squad, the 23-year-old welcomed the idea of receiving an invitation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to weigh his options appropriately.
“I know I’m being looked at by Nigeria, of course, but I can only decide when I get an invitation. Then I really would have to weigh up exactly,” the versatile forward concluded.
Meanwhile, former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi had earlier rebuked foreign-born players with African roots for not prioritising their heritage in their prime.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the Chelsea legend expressed his frustration with these foreign-born Nigerian eligible players who wait for European call-ups, only to turn to Nigeria later in their careers when those opportunities don’t materialise.
Obi said, “I’ve talked so much about players not representing their African roots. We’ve held meetings with these kids, with their parents and said, ‘Listen, you are Nigerian, your dad is Nigeria, your mum is Nigerian, why don’t you represent your fatherland, Nigeria? We wanna play for England, France, whatever is, and then they wait, and then they keep waiting and keep waiting.
“When they get to 25 or 26 and they don’t get a call up from England then they call Nigeria. We shouldn’t be treated as second options. We’re not second options. You should be proud of your African roots, you should be proud to represent your African country.”
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