Sports
WORLD CUP 2022: See Nigerian Footballers Playing for Other Countries
In this article, RNN highlights the full list of Nigerian footballers playing for other countries at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Nigeria was kicked out of the World Cup by their long-time rivals, Ghana in March 2022 as the Black Stars beat the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2022 tournament. Despite not being represented at the tournament, a few Nigerian players will make it to Qatar to grace the field for other countries.
In this article, RNN will highlight all the Nigerian footballers playing for other countries at the 2022 world cup this year. Here we go!
7. Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka was born to Yoruba parents (Adenike and Yomi Saka) in England. The 21-year-old English footballer has spent his entire career at Arsenal, winning an FA Community Shield and an FA Cup. After the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, Saka was named Arsenal’s “Player of the season”.
He represented England at many youth levels before debuting in the senior team in October 2020. Bukayo Saka currently represents England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after joining the nation’s squad at the UEFA Euro 2020.
6. Sam Adekugbe
27-year-old Samuel Ayomide Adekugbe is a Nigerian descent although he plays for the Canadian national team and Süper Lig club Hatayspor.
Adekugbe represented Canada at the youth and senior levels. He is however eligible to represent his residential country, Canada, Nigeria, or England where he was born. The player received his Canadian permanent residency in 2013, qualifying him as a domestic player on Canadian clubs.
Adekugbe is currently representing Canada at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
5. Karim Adeyemi
Karim David Adeyemi is a 20-year-old German professional footballer who plays for the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund as a forward. He is also on the German national team.
Although his father is Nigerian, Adeyemi’s mother is reported to be Romanian. He is equally a youth international for his country of birth- Germany and has represented the nation in their under-16, under-17, and under-21 team.
The football forward made his debut for the nation’s senior team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification games where Germany won Armenia with 6-0 goals. He came in as a late substitute, scoring the sixth goal in the first minute of the second-half injury time. He is representing Germany at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
4. Iké Ugbo
Like Sam Adekugbe, Ike Ugbo is another Nigerian that is eligible to represent the Canadian national team, England and Nigeria. Adekugbe and Ugbo seem to have many things in common. He was also born to Nigerian parents in England and became a Canadian by residency.
The 24-year-old football forward is a product of the Chelsea Academy. He helped England U20 win the 2017 Toulon Tournament.
Ike Ugbo is one of the Nigerian footballers playing for other countries at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He is representing his residential homeland, Canada at the tournament.
3. Manuel Akanji
Manuel Obafemi Akanji was born to a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother in Neftenbach, Switzerland. Akanji plays as a defender for Manchester City and the Switzerland national team.
He made his debut on the U-20 Switzerland team on September 7, 2014, in the 0-0 draw against the German U-20 national team. The 27-year-old made two appearances for the team before making his debut for the nation’s U-21 team in a 0-3 defeat by the Italian U-21 national team.
He also joined the Swiss team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Akanji is another player on the list of Nigerian footballers playing for other countries at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He is representing Switzerland.
2. Noah Okafor
Noah Arinzechukwu Okafor is a 22-year-old Nigerian-born Swiss player. He plays for the Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg and the Switzerland national team as a midfielder.
Okafor was born in Binningen, Switzerland, although he is of Igbo descent. (His father is a Nigerian and his mother, is Swiss).
He played several U-15, U-17, and U-18 games before making his debut in the senior national team at the 2019 UEFA Nations League third-place against England as a substitute for Haris Seferovic. He is currently representing Switzerland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
1. Jamal Musiala
Finally on our list of Nigerian footballers representing other countries at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is Jamal Musiala. The 19-year-old German footballer was born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a German mother. At 19, Musiala has already won 17 caps for his country- Germany, and is credited as one of the youngest, most talented footballers in the world.
He plays as a midfielder and winger for the Bundesliga club, Bayern Munich, and the German national team. Musiala has represented both the English and German national youth teams before finally settling for the four-time world champions.
Jamal Musiala is representing Germany at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Nigerian Footballers Playing for Other Countries (Summary)
Here is a list of all the Nigerian footballers playing for other countries at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the nations they are representing.
- Jamal Musiala- Germany
- Noah Okafor- Switzerland
- Manuel Akanji- Switzerland
- Ike Ugbo- Canada
- Karim Adeyemi- Germany
- Sam Adekugbe- Canada
- Bukayo Saka- England