Dapo Afolayan keen to represent Nigeria after missed Super Eagles chance

Blackburn Rovers forward Dapo Afolayan says he wants to play for Nigeria despite having represented England at youth level.

The England-born striker, who is of Nigerian descent, said wearing the Super Eagles shirt has been a personal ambition since childhood. He also revealed that he came close to receiving a senior international call-up during an impressive spell in the German Bundesliga, but lost the opportunity after his form and playing time changed.

“I’d love to play for Nigeria. It’s always been something I wanted to do since I was a kid. I’ve been really close and timing has been unfortunate,” Afolayan said.

“I was really playing well in the Bundesliga, and I was really close to a call-up, then I stopped playing before the March break and ended up not going.”

Afolayan’s comments could bring him to the attention of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, with Nigeria continuing to assess players who may be eligible for future international assignments.

The forward’s interest would give Nigeria another possible option in attack, although any senior call-up would depend on his eligibility and the completion of the required international clearance procedures.

His previous appearances for England’s youth teams do not automatically prevent him from switching allegiance to Nigeria. However, the nature of those appearances, including whether they were made in competitive fixtures, would determine which FIFA eligibility regulations apply.

Afolayan will now hope that his performances at club level can help him secure the opportunity to fulfil his long-standing ambition of representing Nigeria at senior level.