Rise of Foreign-Born Stars: Blessing or curse for Nigerian football?

Nigeria has always been blessed with homegrown talents who have gone on to achieve great things in football.

In 1985, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles became the first team from Africa to win a medal at a FIFA tournament when they placed third at the U-20 men’s World Cup in the former Soviet Union.

Some of the notable names in the Flying Eagles squad include Alloy Agu, Andrew Uwe, Monday Odiaka, Samson Siasia, Wasiu Ipaye, and Waidi Akanni.

Also in 1985, the Golden Eaglets made history as the first-ever African country to win a FIFA-organised tournament by lifting the U-16 World Cup in China.

On parade for the Golden Eaglets were skipper of the side Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Victor Igbinoba, Imama Amapakabo, Sani Adamu, and Lucky Agbonsevbafe, among others.

Years later, the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, Tijani Babangida, Victor Ikpeba, Taribo West, Okechukwu Uche, Mutiu Adepoju, and, of course, the late Rashidi Yekini emerged.

This bunch of talented Nigerian players were so good that some of them went on to be crowned African Player of the Year. These players include Yekini, Amuneke, Ikpeba, and Kanu.

Before the emergence of these greats, the likes of Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu, Adokiyie Amasiemaka, Emmanuel Okala, the late Muda Lawal, Felix Owolabi, Alloysious Atuegbu, and the late Best Ogedengbe wrote their names in the history books.

Just like the men’s team, the Super Falcons were blessed with talented homegrown players who brought honour and glory to the country.

The success of the Falcons is never complete without mentioning the contribution of the likes of Mercy Akide, Florence Omagbemi, Nkiru Okosieme, Patience Avre, Cynthia Uwak, Perpetual Nkwocha, and the most successful African Women’s Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala.

However, there seems to be a new trend, as there are more foreign-born players in both the men’s and women’s national teams.

It is important to note that in years past, we had just a handful of them, with players like Reuben Agboola, Efan Ekoku, Osaze Odemwingie, George Abbey, and Victor Anichebe who played in different periods for the Super Eagles.

But recently, the influx of these players born in the diaspora has become so rampant that when you look at the current Super Eagles lineup, it is sometimes almost dominated by foreign-born players, something that was hardly experienced in the past.

The likes of Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru are now sure starters in the Super Eagles.

In the Super Falcons, the likes of Ashleigh Plumptre, Toni and Nicole Payne, Michelle Alozie, Jennifer Echiegini, and Ifeoma Onumonu have become mainstays.

No doubt, these players have contributed immensely to the success of Nigerian football, as evident recently. For instance, Lookman and Troost-Ekong were named in the AFCON 2023 Team of the Tournament for helping the Super Eagles reach the final.

Also, both players are in the running for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award, with Lookman looking likely to claim the award.

Despite their contributions to Nigerian football, there are fears that the huge number of these players will hamper the growth and opportunity of their local counterparts.

Following this development, The Guardian sought the opinions of former Nigeria internationals, a grassroots coach, and sports journalists.

Giving his thoughts on the issue, former Super Eagles midfield star Etim Esin believes more harm will be done to the homegrown players, especially those playing in the Nigeria Premier Football League.

“Does it mean there are no good players in our local league that can make the national team? Does it mean no player can be picked from Lobi Stars, Enyimba? I think something should be done about that,” Esin said.

“I’m not against foreign-born players being invited, provided they come and perform for their country. It doesn’t really matter because we are all Nigerians. But I think it’s more harm to our local league than good—that’s my take on it. Take a look at the likes of Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, and Nwankwo Kanu, all of whom came from the local league.”

“There are talents in the local league, and once in a while, I watch our local league, I see good players; I see talents, but these coaches and teams will not wait for the players to mature and have a concrete arrangement that by now, we should be selling players for $5 million and at worst, $1 million.”

Femi Ashaolu of Complete Sports, who shares the same sentiments as Esin, said it was initially a blessing to have players born abroad represent Nigeria, but now he does not see it in that light anymore.

“Gernot Rohr, our longest-serving coach in the last decade or so, was in charge of the Super Eagles, for instance, for five years. How many home-reared talents got promoted to the national team? I think it is a mental blockade for us that if it is not foreign, it is not good enough.

“Within when Rohr was in charge and now, we have had the likes of Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Kelvin Akpoguma, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, Maduka Okoye, Semi Ajayi, etc., in the Eagles, as against local players Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Olorunleke Ojo, and Ismail Sodiq, who all just breezed through the senior national team without being accorded real opportunities.

“Some may argue the age factor and all that, but within the years that these (local) players appeared to be in their prime, they stood no chance at all. Back in the 1990s, we all knew that the crop of players on the national team were nurtured in the Nigerian league. Do you want to talk about the triumphant 1994 squad or the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Dream Team?

“We have 20 clubs in the NPFL. It is sad that none of the defenders was considered good enough to replace Ajayi in the list of players for the AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda. We may complain about the quality of the local players, but what are we doing about it? In the end, it would be detrimental to whatever goal we want to achieve with the local league.

“Same thing applies to the Super Falcons. When the Falcons were unchallenged in Africa and shone on the global stage in the 90s, how many of those players were born abroad? Florence Omagbemi, Mercy Akide, Kikelomo Ajayi, Patient Avre, Ann Chiejine, etc., played in the local women’s league. I’m not against players born abroad coming home to represent Nigeria, but we must find a way to strike a balance. Some people have even gone further to argue that these players remember Nigeria only after they have been shunned by their country of birth.

“What we do these days is use our local talents for age-grade competitions and ignore them at the senior level, indirectly telling them they are inferior without giving them the window to shine.”

Also sharing his views is the owner of Olusosun United, Coach Paul Erikewe, who discovered Super Eagles and reigning CAF Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen.

According to Erikewe, the influx of foreign-born players will jeopardise the chances of the players plying their trade back home.

Erikewe said, “It has a negative effect because during the time of Clemens Westerhof, we all know that he worked with the home-based and exposed them, and at the end of the day, the likes of Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi were gotten from the league. You cannot tell me that in the Nigerian league we cannot get a good midfielder, a good attacker, a good defender, and a good goalkeeper to compete with the foreign-born.

“I don’t see anything special about the foreign-born players because if you give those born here the chance, they will deliver. If you motivate them to put in their best, of course, they will deliver. I believe the NFF can partner with clubs and assist them to get more of what those born abroad are gaining, especially in terms of training facilities. Definitely, we will grow.”

However, former Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper and 1994 AFCON winner Alloy Agu had a contrary opinion.

Agu posited that the foreign-born players are all Nigerians, and whatever and wherever they are doing, as long as they are Nigerians and they identify themselves as Nigerians, they ought to participate with the Nigerian national team.

“For them to choose to play for Nigeria, we must appreciate it, and another thing is that we have to look around us and see what we are doing now that we did better then. Back then, our league was very solid; almost every player playing in the national team could also play outside the country.

“You have a solid league and solid material coming out of the league, ready to compete wherever. So it becomes easier for us, like the 1990 Nations Cup, it was only three foreign players that was in the team and the bulk of the team was from the Nigerian league. That showcased how solid the league was and we ended up as runners up at the 1990 AFCON, which showed that what was coming out of the league was very solid.

“So the most important thing is, what are we doing here? Are we solid back home and if yes then it gives a good opportunity for competition. And whenever you have competition, you have success, you have good results. But when you don’t have that competition, it’s going to be very difficult. If the Nigerian league is doing well and the foreign-born players come in, we can put heads together and become solid; having the foreign-born players should be an added value.

“Maduka Okoye is doing great; I brought him to the national team; I brought Nwabali into the national team and today they are all doing great and that is what we want; no matter where the Nigerians are and they are able to accept to play for us we should not discourage them.

“I trained Ezenwa when I was in the national team and he delivered for Nigeria so it is about blending both the home-based and foreign-born players and not allowing one to hinder the other. My submission is that we must look for the best legs to play for Nigeria, no matter where they are coming from they should come in and give Nigeria the best results that’s what we are looking for.”

Corroborating Agu’s thoughts is Sports Editor News Central, Tunde Koiki.

“Truth is you cannot hide quality, no matter where the quality is. If it is born in Nigeria or born and raised abroad it is quality and it would always rise to the top. When you look at the quality of the players called to the various Nigerian national teams the question you ask yourself is that are they better than the ones here? If they are then they deserve to play. But if the idea is just because it is on the basis of the fact that they are born abroad you now begin to question whether this is right or this is wrong.

“For example look at Samuel Chukwueze, he was born and raised in Nigeria but if you compare him with Noni Madueke, on the basis of quality you would say Madueke is much better. Samuel Chukwueze can have one good game today and another 10 bad games.

“Let’s talk about basketball for instance, the vast majority of the Nigerian women basketball team and the Nigerian men basketball team most of them are born in the US and basketball is what they picked up at the age of four but the average Nigerian picks up basketball here at the age of 14. Which means the average Nigerian born and raised in the US already has a 10-year head start and of course you expect him to be much better than the one born and raised here in Nigeria, unless the one born in Nigeria is a prodigious talent that was exceptional and I can’t remember any Nigerian born here who was exceptional.”

Koiki said quality cannot be hidden, that for the ones born and raised abroad, the quality of their education is far more, far higher and superior than the ones we have here in Nigeria.

“So for me, the best thing is to insist we have quality and proper sport development here so that the ones that we have are well trained and well developed and the quality they have can match those who are born and raised abroad, and I can tell you that the next generation of Nigerian athletes are those born abroad; a lot of them will be those from the diaspora where sports is a major part of their development. We are way back from the rest of the world and in my opinion we are at least 40 years behind the rest of the world and that is why we can’t catch up with them unless we make a quantum change.”