Former Super Eagles forward and coach, Samson Siasia, has argued that most Europe-born footballers who represent Nigeria only do so because they are unable to secure opportunities with other national teams.
Siasia made the remarks in an interview with Emmanuel Babayaro on UTVAfrica, where he contrasted the pathways of players from his era with those currently in the national team.
“The crop of players we had during that era, 1990–1998, were great players that left the shores of Nigeria, went to Europe and came back, not now that we are bringing in players from Europe to come and play for Nigeria – two different things,” Siasia said.
According to him, while players in his time started their careers at home before moving abroad and returning to represent the country, most Super Eagles players today were born overseas.
“Kids that were born in Europe or went at an early age doing well for their clubs are back to play for the national team. If they had a chance to play for a European country, great players, they won’t come,” he added.
Siasia’s comments come as the Super Eagles squad features a growing number of Europe-born players, including Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, Felix Agu, and Collins Ajayi, among others.
He suggested that many of these players would not have opted for Nigeria if they had been playing at the highest levels in Europe when they made the decision to switch allegiance.