Nigeria-eligible youngster chooses Italy over Super Eagles

Destiny Onoguekhan Elimoghale, a 15-year-old football prospect born to Nigerian parents in Italy on April 23, 2009, has affirmed his dedication to representing Italy’s national team.

The Juventus Football Academy winger, known for his speed, is currently playing for the Italian U-17 team in the ongoing UEFA U-17 Euro qualification, where he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Croatia after coming off the bench.

In an interview with Calcio Mercato, Elimoghale expressed his deep connection to the Italian national team, stating, “For me, the national team is everything. It is something extraordinary because not everyone can wear the blue shirt.

“My future will, therefore, still be in blue hues, and I can not wait to fight to become a U-17 European Champion.”
Elimoghale’s words reflect his ambition to pursue a future with Italy, ruling out any possibility of representing Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Elimoghale, often compared to AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, though citing Neymar as his idol, also shared his admiration for Juventus first-team player Kenan Yildiz and the significance of the number 11 jersey.

He said, “I have always looked at the great talents spent in senior team and in particular, it is Kenan Yildiz I try to imitate the most. On his shoulders, he always wears the number 11 shirt also because like the 10, it’s a nice heavy number, especially at Juventus. It was worn in black and white by Paul Pogba, and I consider him the player to be taken for example, among the historical ones of the Juve first team.”

The young left-winger’s focus remains on his development with Italy’s youth setup as he aims to emulate the success of his role models.