Although Nigeria’s Super Eagles didn’t advance to the 2022 World Cup after losing to Ghana during the playoffs match, it appears that the nation will still be represented somehow in Qatar.
Nigeria is already blessed with so many footballing talents and we’ve decided to list out some notable players of Nigerian descent who will be featuring for other nations at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
JAMAL MUSIALA
Bayern Munich youth sensation was listed in the squad for the competition. The former Chelsea Academy star was born to a British-Nigeria father in Stuttgart and has a German mother.
Musiala, who was also eligible to play for Nigeria via his father, has represented both England and Germany at youth international level but later announced he had decided to represent his birth nation, Germany for full international matches.
BUKAYO SAKA
The Arsenal youngster burst onto the scene two seasons ago and has grown to be one of the Gunners’ key players under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage.
Born in London to Nigerian parents, the 21-year-old, who currently has 4 goals and six assists to his name was eligible to feature for the Super Eagles but chose the Three Lions.
KARIM ADEYEMI
Adeyemi was born to a Nigerian father and a Romanian mother in the German city of Munich.
Having played for the European nation at all age-grade levels, he made his senior team debut in a World Cup qualification against Armenia in 2021 coming on as a late substitute and scoring his side’s sixth goal.
He is the first post-war player to make the leap from the Austrian league to the German national team for the first time.
MANUEL AKANJI
The 27-year-old Manchester City defender was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland, to a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother.
He was included in the Swiss team’s 23 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Qatar 2022 World cup would be his second appearance in the competition.
NOAH OKAFOR
Noah Okafor was born in Binningen to a Nigerian father and has a Swiss mother. The 22-year-old forward played for the Europeans at every youth level.
Okafor scored his first international goal for Switzerland on 15 November 2021, in their World Cup qualifying game against Bulgaria, a win which secured automatic qualification for Switzerland to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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