Odemwingie questions Nigeria's World Cup hopes as talents choose England
Former Super Eagles striker Peter Odemwingie today questioned how Nigeria can win a World Cup when talented players of Nigerian descent opt to represent England and other European nations instead. Speaking to Brila, the 43-year-old ex-West Brom striker highlighted Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Tammy Abraham, Noni Madueke, and Michael Olise as examples of dual-heritage players choosing Europe over Nigeria. Odemwingie, who has Russian-Nigerian heritage but chose to play for Nigeria since his 2002 debut, urged parents and players to embrace Nigerian roots despite what he called 'plenty pride' and 'shakara for Africa' among younger generations. He acknowledged that players like Saka and Abraham grew up in better football environments with stronger tactical and technical training, but warned that 'one day the whole football squad of England will be Nigerians' if the trend continues. While refusing to judge individual choices, Odemwingie expressed hope for a reversal where talented dual-heritage players would eventually choose Nigeria and bring the World Cup home. His comments come amid ongoing debates about nationality eligibility in football and Nigeria's struggles to translate individual talent into team success on the global stage.