FIFA finally frees Ademola Lookman to play for Nigeria

Super Eagles Manager, Augustine Eguavoen, now has opportunity to use former England junior star, Ademola Lookman, when the Super Eagles meet Black Stars of Ghana in the last leg of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying series.

Nigeria is preparing for a two-leg Qatar 2022 qualifier next month. Lookman was unable to feature for the Eagles at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroun because FIFA had not granted permission for the Leicester City star to switch allegiance from England to Nigeria.

But the world football governing body has now granted the clearance for the lad born in England by Nigerian parents.
Lookman was in the England team, alongside Dominic Solanke and Fikayo Tomori, who won the U20 World Cup in 2017.

Reacting to the development, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed that Emilio Garcia Silveiro, who is FIFA’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, conveyed the decision of the Single Judge of the Status Chamber of the Football Tribunal to it. 

NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, lauded the record-time approval granted the fresh application by the Federation with regards to Lookman’s desire to wear the green-white-green in the international sphere. “We sent in the application on Wednesday night after putting all the necessary documentation together. We are happy to receive the approval today.”
 
Only in December 2021, FIFA also approved the NFF’s application for the switch in allegiance for Ashleigh Megan Plumptre to represent Nigeria internationally. Both Lookman and Plumptre had represented England at various junior cadres.