By Wale Mustapha
Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella has expressed his willingness to return to the Nigeria national team, stating that he would “happily accept the call” if new Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle deems him deserving of a recall.
Tella, who made his debut for Nigeria in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe in 2023, has been in strong form for Leverkusen, scoring in their 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Sparta Prague last Wednesday.
Despite his recent impressive performances, the 24-year-old, who previously played for Burnley, emphasized that it’s not for him to decide when he should be called up.
Instead, he believes in earning his place through hard work and merit.
“I’ve never been a player that says ‘I should be called up,’” Tella said in an interview with Oma Sports.
“On merit, I have to work hard and earn my chances. If the new coach (Eric Chelle) thinks I’ve done enough, then I’d happily accept the call. But if not, that means I have to work harder.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
