Nathan Tella ready for Super Eagles recall journey

By Monsurah Olatunji

Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella has reflected on what he needs to improve to earn a recall to the Nigerian national team, six months after his last appearance.

Tella, who was left out of the Super Eagles squad by Augustine Eguavoen for the recent AFCON 2025 qualifiers, is determined to work his way back into the team.

Born in England, the 25-year-old was first called up to the Super Eagles in 2023 following a stellar season with Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen. He made his debut for Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on November 19, 2023. However, he was surprisingly omitted from the AFCON squad just a month later.

Despite this setback, Tella was invited for the international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March, although he remained an unused substitute in both matches.

Undeterred, Tella is now focused on regaining his form and securing a starting position at Leverkusen, with hopes of earning another call-up to the national team.

Speaking after an impressive performance against Heidenheim, Tella expressed his commitment to improving his game in order to earn a spot in the Super Eagles.

“It’s an honor to represent your country, but I have to play well here [at Leverkusen] to get the recognition for Nigeria,” Tella said in an interview with OmaSport TV.

“I think it’s all about baby steps—keep getting better, keep improving. If I continue doing the right things, I hope Nigeria will call me back.”

He added, “I can’t expect to be called up just because of who I am. I have to earn the opportunity to play for Nigeria. If I’m not performing well at my club, I have to work hard to get back into the team here, then the national team follows.”

With this focused mindset, Tella remains determined to earn his place in the Super Eagles once again, demonstrating the hard work and commitment required to represent Nigeria on the international stage.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

See Full Bio