How more Nigerian-born players are switching to represent other African countries

When Akpan Udoh helped Nigeria win the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile in 2015, his future appeared tied to the country whose colours he wore alongside future Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze.

More than a decade later, the former Golden Eaglets goalkeeper is pursuing an international career with Uganda, a country to which he has a family connection.

Udoh made his international debut for Uganda on 2 October, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 friendly victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.

His journey reflects a growing trend in African football, where national teams are looking beyond their borders for players who qualify through ancestry or naturalisation.

From Uganda and Malawi to Sudan and Benin Republic, several footballers born in Nigeria or with Nigerian heritage have found opportunities to represent other African countries. Their experiences vary, ranging from players who developed their careers abroad to those whose family ties have opened the door to international football.

Uganda’s search for heritage players

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) announced on 27 September that Udoh and Kingdom Osayi were among nine players identified through its national team recruitment programme.

The initiative followed a scouting exercise involving more than 200 potential heritage players, with 20 identified for further consideration.

Udoh, born on 18 July 1999, was part of Nigeria’s 2015 Under-17 World Cup-winning squad. He qualifies to represent Uganda through his grandmother, Auma, who was born in Busia, according to information published about his recruitment.

Osayi, born on 3 June 2004 to Nigerian parents, qualifies through his maternal grandmother, who was born in Kaberamaido, Uganda.

Before his move to Swedish club Assyriska FF, Udoh played for several Nigerian clubs, including Heartland, MFM, Doma United and Rangers International.

Osayi, meanwhile, had been involved with Nigeria’s Under-23 team setup but was not fielded at the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. Having not represented Nigeria in a match at that tournament, his path to Uganda differed from that of players who have already featured for another national team.

Both players’ recruitment reflects Uganda’s efforts to widen its pool of available talent ahead of international assignments, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

For Udoh, the transition is particularly striking because he previously represented Nigeria at youth level. His Uganda debut has now taken his career into senior international football with another country.

Malawi’s Nigerian connection

Malawi offers another example of how footballers with Nigerian connections are finding international opportunities elsewhere in Africa.

Jubril Okedina, a defender who developed in English football, attracted discussion about a possible future with Nigeria’s youth teams. He ultimately committed his senior international career to Malawi, receiving his first senior call-up and making his debut in March 2024.

Forward Babatunde Adepoju followed a different route.

Born and raised in Lagos, Adepoju built his professional career in southern Africa, particularly Malawi, where he played for clubs including Blue Eagles, Masters Security, Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.

After spending several years in the country, he obtained Malawian citizenship through naturalisation. He has also expressed a desire to give back to the country that helped develop his football career.

His international breakthrough came when he received his first call-up for Malawi’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He subsequently featured for the Flames in their competitive fixtures and contributed to the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

For Malawi, both players provide additional options, illustrating how national teams can strengthen their squads by recruiting eligible players with connections to other countries.

Adetunji’s move to Sudan

Former Nigerian international Sunday Adetunji’s career took another turn in 2026 when he switched his international allegiance to Sudan after establishing himself in the country’s domestic game with Al-Hilal Omdurman.

The forward previously played for several Nigerian clubs, including Abia Warriors, Plateau United and Rivers United.

Adetunji had made one senior appearance for Nigeria, coming on as a substitute in a 4-0 friendly defeat to Mexico on 4 July 2021.

His subsequent career took him to North Macedonia and Serbia before he moved to Sudan. His spell with KF Shkupi in North Macedonia was particularly productive: he scored 20 league goals in his debut season and helped the club win its first league title.

His limited senior involvement with Nigeria is relevant to his change of association. FIFA permits certain players to change the national association they represent, but the process is subject to conditions involving nationality, previous international appearances, age and participation in major competitions.

A player cannot switch national teams simply because he has changed clubs or obtained another passport. He must satisfy the applicable eligibility criteria and secure formal approval where required.

Adetunji’s case illustrates how a player’s international prospects can change after club football takes him to another country, where he may establish the legal and sporting connection required to represent its national team.

Benin Republic: Family heritage and international opportunity

Benin Republic has a longer history of fielding footballers with Nigerian connections, reflecting the close geographical, cultural and family ties between the neighbouring countries.

Among the players who illustrate this relationship are Junior Olaitan, Tosin Aiyegun and emerging forward Joseph Ede Oloko.

Olaitan was born in Porto-Novo, Benin, to a Nigerian father and a Beninese mother. He spent much of his formative years in Lagos before returning to Benin to join Ayema FC in Porto-Novo.

His performances helped him earn a senior debut for Benin in 2021 and a move to French club Niort in 2022.

“I started in Lagos, then I returned to Benin, where I started with Ayema FC,” he told So Foot.

Olaitan’s story illustrates how family heritage and formative experiences in two countries can shape a player’s career before he reaches senior international football.

Aiyegun was born in Lagos to a Nigerian father and a Beninese mother. He began his professional career in Latvia with FK Ventspils, where he made 89 appearances, scoring 35 goals and providing 20 assists, before moving to FC Zürich and later Lorient.

He chose to represent Benin at senior level in 2022 and started all four of the team’s matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, including its round-of-16 defeat to Egypt.

Oloko is among the more recent Nigerian-born players to earn an opportunity with Benin.

Born in Lagos, the striker developed with 36 Lion FC before moving to AS Cotonou in Benin and subsequently to Europe.

His performances for Latvian club Liepāja in 2026 earned him a first senior call-up from Benin coach Gernot Rohr in September.

Oloko has a Nigerian background through his birthplace and a Beninese connection through his mother, giving him links to both countries.

“My mother is Beninese, so I have always had that link with Benin. I also have Nigerian roots, and I am proud of both sides of my identity,” he told Joueurs Béninois.

His comments offer a personal explanation for such decisions. Rather than presenting his choice as a rejection of Nigeria, Oloko described an identity that encompasses both countries.

The choice is not always about opportunity

The movement of players between national teams also works in the opposite direction. Nigeria has benefited from footballers who developed abroad and chose to represent the Super Eagles.

Among the players who have recently pursued this route is Felix Agu, the German-born defender who received clearance to represent Nigeria in 2025 after previously playing for Germany’s Under-21 team in friendly matches.

George Ilenikhena, born in Lagos and raised in France from the age of three, also featured for France’s youth teams, beginning with the Under-16s in 2021.

Ilenikhena subsequently switched his international allegiance to Nigeria and made a scoring debut for the Super Eagles in Uyo in their first match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 25 September.

These cases show how international football brings together players shaped by different development systems, provided they satisfy the relevant eligibility rules.

However, dual nationality does not guarantee that a player will choose the country with the more prominent footballing history or greater international profile.

South African defender Ime Okon, who has a Nigerian father and a South African mother, has made his commitment to Bafana Bafana clear.

Born and raised in South Africa, Okon came through the country’s football system, including SuperSport United, before joining German club Hannover 96. He made his Bafana Bafana debut against Mozambique at the 2025 COSAFA Cup and scored his first international goal against Zimbabwe three days later.

Despite being eligible for Nigeria through his father, he has maintained that his football identity is rooted in South Africa.

“I know where my heart lies,” he said.

Okon’s position challenges the assumption that players with dual nationality will automatically choose Nigeria because of the Super Eagles’ reputation or the country’s large football-playing population.

Upbringing, personal identity and emotional attachment can be as important as professional opportunity. While some players identify more closely with the country where they grew up, others may place greater emphasis on family heritage or the opportunity to represent a national team.

Their motivations differ, and their choices should not be treated as interchangeable.

What FIFA’s rules permit

FIFA’s eligibility regulations determine who may represent a national team and under what circumstances a player can change the country they represent. The rules distinguish between possessing a country’s nationality and meeting the additional requirements to play for its national team.

Under FIFA’s Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, a player must hold the relevant nationality. Depending on the circumstances, the player must also establish a recognised connection to the country through birthplace, the birthplace of a biological parent or grandparent, or a prescribed period of residence.

For players who have never represented a country in an official competition, the requirements differ from those governing players who have already played for another national association.

Where a player has acquired a new nationality, for instance, FIFA’s rules generally require a qualifying connection through birth, descent or residence. The qualifying residence period depends on the age at which the player moved to the country.

A player who has represented another country in an official competition may need formal approval from FIFA to change association. Such a change is not automatic and depends on the player’s international record, nationality and the specific conditions set out in Article 10 of the regulations.

FIFA also distinguishes between official competitions and friendly matches. Participation in an official competition can tie a player to a national association even at youth level, provided the player has physically taken part in the match. A friendly appearance, by contrast, does not by itself create that restriction.

Some players who have represented a country at senior international level may still qualify to change association, but only under specific conditions. These include provisions covering players with dual or multiple nationality who have made limited senior appearances, as well as other narrowly defined circumstances.

The applicable requirements can include age limits, the timing of nationality acquisition, the number of appearances and the period since the player’s last senior international match.

The rules therefore do not give players an unrestricted right to switch national teams simply because they have obtained another passport or moved abroad to play club football. Each case depends on the player’s nationality, international history and the applicable eligibility provisions, with formal approval required where stipulated by FIFA.

Is Nigeria losing talent?

The recruitment of Nigerian-origin players by other African countries raises questions about whether Nigeria is losing footballers who could have strengthened its own national teams.

Sports analyst Seun Anifowose feels indifferent, instead, he believes Nigeria should focus on making the best use of the talent available rather than trying to prevent players from representing other countries.

“The major task for football authorities is to provide an enabling environment that would allow for local talents to be discovered and nurtured into stardom,” Mr Anifowose told PREMIUM TIMES.

He added: “If we have the right system in place, anyone that is deserving of a place in the national team will not be denied or hampered on any grounds, including ethnicity, religion or having a godfather. Those that are not good enough can take their skills elsewhere depending on what the guiding FIFA rules state.”

Football agent Friday Onajafe noted in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES that for a country with a large football-playing population and a history of producing international talent like Nigeria, effective scouting and communication with players abroad remain important.

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He said: “Domestic competitions and youth development structures must provide credible pathways into the national teams.

“The question is not whether Nigeria can or should prevent players from representing other countries. Where players qualify for another national team and meet FIFA’s requirements, their choices must be respected.

“Rather, Nigeria must ensure that its football structures are organised enough to identify talent, maintain contact with eligible players and offer meaningful opportunities to those who wish to represent the country,” Mr Onajafe concluded.

As more African federations look beyond their borders, Nigeria’s challenge is to develop its own players while recognising that competition for international talent now extends well beyond the traditional boundaries of national development systems.