Udeze: ‘I Will Never Beg Any Player for Nigeria’
Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze has insisted that Nigeria should not beg foreign-born players to represent the country, stressing that the decision must come from the players themselves.
Udeze’s comments follow revelations by former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick, who recently expressed regret that Tammy Abraham opted to play for England despite efforts to convince him otherwise.
Pinnick, speaking on the Play Zone podcast, said the striker had initially agreed to represent Nigeria before changing his mind. He also disclosed that similar efforts were made to persuade Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman to commit to the Super Eagles.
Reacting on Brila FM on Friday, Udeze criticized the approach of persistently lobbying players who appear reluctant. He argued that those unwilling to switch allegiance should be left alone.
‘No, I won’t beg any player to play for Nigeria,’ Udeze declared. ‘Tammy Abraham had his eyes fixed on playing for Nigeria. Pinnick said he went to England to beg Abraham’s dad and sister. At the end of the day, Lookman and Iwobi decided to play for Nigeria.
‘If you like, beg from Ajagbadi to Badagry, a player who wants to play for England will play for them. That is what Eberechi Eze did when he became a regular at Crystal Palace.
‘If I invite you to a cafeteria to drink something, and I try to convince you but you turn me down, at the end of the day I will tell them to split the bill, you pay your bill, I’ll pay mine.’
