The Super Eagles might not have qualified for the World Cup starting in a couple of days time in Qatar, but there are a couple of players with Nigerian heritage that will be featuring for their adopted country at the mundial.
Here is a list of the players who will do business for other countries at the mundial.
Karim Adeyemi
Karim Adeyemi was born on 18 January 2002 in München Germany, to a Nigerian father, Abbey Adeyemi, and Romanian mother, Alexandra Adeyemi, and has represented Germany at all age-grade sides.
He played for TSV Forstenried from 2007-2009, for FC Bayern München from 2009-2011, for TSV Forstenried from 2011-2012, for SpVgg Unterhaching from 2012-2018, for FC Liefering from 2018-2019, for FC Red Bull Salzburg from 2020-2022 and has played for Borussia Dortmund since 2022.
He has participated in youth international competitions for Germany’s under-16, under-17, and under-21 teams. On September 5, 2021, in a 6-0 victory against Armenia in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying game, he made his senior team debut for Germany. In the first minute of second-half injury time, he came on as a late substitution and scored his team’s sixth goal.
Adeyemi has been called up by the German national team for the world Cup holding in Qatar.
Manuel Akanji
Another World Cup bound player of Nigerian descent is Manuel Akanji. The 27-year-old Manchester City defender was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland, to a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother.
He has been called up to the Switzerland team to the mundial, he was also part of the team in 2018.
He was one of Switzerland’s best performers in Russia as he helped the team to the knockout stage from Group E, which had five-time champions Brazil, fellow Europeans Serbia and Brazil 2014 World Cup quarterfinalists Costa Rica.
Noah Okafor
is another player of Nigerian descent who plays for Switzerland.
Noah Arinzechukwu Okafor. Noah was born on the 24th day of May 2000, to his mother (Nicole Okafor) and father (Christian Okafor), in Basel, Switzerland.
The Swiss footballer holds two nationalities. First, he is Nigerian through his Dad (Christian Okafor. Secondly, Noah Okafor has Swiss nationality by virtue of his birth. Also, because Switzerland is Nicole Okafor’s country of origin.
Okafor currently plays for Austrian side FC Salzburg and will feature at the world Cup in Qatar for Switzerland.
Bukayo Saka
Saka was born in Ealing, Greater London, to Yoruba parents Adenike and Yomi Saka.
Saka is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger, left-back, or midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. Saka is known for his attacking incisiveness and creativity, and is often considered one of the best young football players in the world.
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 was eligible to feature for the Super Eagles but chose the Three Lions.
Jamal Musiala
was born to a British-Nigeria father in Stuggart and has a German mother. He moved to England at seven and featured for the English U-17 side but snubbed the nation and Nigeria for his mother’s nation at the senior level.
He made his debut for the Europeans in March 2021 and has since then played 16 more games for the side with one goal to his credit.
The dazzling Bayern Munich’s forward will definitely deliver for Germany at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ike Ugbo
is another player of Nigerian descent that will represent another country in Qatar.
He was born in London to Nigerian/Igbo parents but the family moved to Canada when he was aged five.
Ugbo has been called up by the Canada coach in their 26-man list. He was part and parcel of the team through out the qualifiers.
He plays for Troyes in the French Ligue 1
Samuel Adekugbe
Samuel Adekugbe is another player who will feature for Canada at the mundial starting in Qatar on the 20th of November.
He was born in England to Nigerian parents but his family moved to Canada many years ago.
Adekugbe grew up in Manchester until his family moved to Calgary, Alberta when he was nine… won the 2015 Amway Canadian Championship with the Whitecaps, the club’s first Voyageur’s Cup.
Samuel Ayomide Adekugbe plays as a left-back for Süper Lig club Hatayspor and the Canada national team.
The 27-year-old defender’s family later moved to Canada and the player who features for Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor is on the plane to the Middle East nation