Former Super Eagles’ striker, Victor Okechukwu Agali has declared that it is not enough for a player to be born abroad and think that there is a guarantee for an invitation to the Nigerian national team.
In the spate of recent clamour by Nigerian soccer fans for players born to parents from the country or who merely bare names that signify their roots from the nation, Agali told sports247.ng that caution is needed.
The lanky star, who made to marks with Olympique Marseille and OGC Nice of France as well as Hansa Rostock and Schalke 04 of Germany, said it is not enough to agitate for every player to be invited to the Eagles.
Agali stressed that the national team tacticians do not need to run after every foreign-born player of Nigerian descent, just because they feel it is a loss when they play for other countries.
Casting a thought ahead of the team’s preparation for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Agali said the Eagles handlers should simply look out for players that have something to offer the squad in deficient areas.
“We should not just go for any player with a Nigerian name or Nigerian parents, just because we don’t want them to play for another country.
“Rather than simply going after every foreign-born player of Nigeria descent, let’s go for those who are willing and better than what we already have.
“We should go for only those players that can offer the Super Eagles something good in an area of need,” concluded Agali, who also played Erciyesspor and Ankaragücü of Turkey among several other clubs.
