After failing to convince Liverpool’s Jordon Ibe to play for Nigeria, Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, on Wednesday invited Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi for Nigeria’s friendly games against the Leopards of DR Congo on October 8 and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on October 11. The two matches will be played in Belgium.
Iwobi scored his first goal for Arsenal in their 6-0 win over Lyon in a preseason friendly. He was the only addition to the new list of players for the friendlies released on Wednesday by the Nigeria Football Federation.
The 19-year-old, who is the captain of the Gunners’ Under-21 side has represented England at the U-16, U-17 and U-18 levels, but has since shown his interest in playing for Nigeria at the senior level.
According to the NFF, the Iwobi, who trained with the national U-23 team in March, has been cleared by FIFA to play for Nigeria because he did not feature for England in any official game.
The NFF added that it had received a list of seven matches that Iwobi played for England at the youth level from The Football Association, and none of them was an official match.
The Nigerian football body noted on its website that FIFA said that Iwobi could represent Nigeria since he has permanent Nigerian citizenship and did not represent another association (country) in a match in an official competition.
Iwobi, who is former Eagles captain Austin Okocha’s nephew, was quoted in January as saying that Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu influenced his decision to play for Nigeria.
Iwobi will join seven other forwards – Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike (Al Ain, UAE); Sylvester Igbonu (FC UFA, Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (West Ham United, England); Odion Ighalo (Watford, England); and Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars).
All invited players, including four goalkeepers, eight defenders and five midfielders, are expected to arrive in Belgium on October 5 ahead of the two encounters.
The friendly games are meant to prepare the Eagles for their fixture against the winner of the preliminary round between Swaziland and Djibouti on November 9 in a 2018 World Cup first round qualifier and the return leg in Nigeria November 17, as well as their next Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt.
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