Nigerian international Chuba Akpom has expressed his strong desire to represent the Super Eagles, revealing that he has been eagerly awaiting a call-up since declaring his intention to switch allegiance to Nigeria in 2019.
In an exclusive interview with football journalist Oma Akatugba, Akpom shared his thoughts on his international future after making a significant impact off the bench, helping Ajax secure a thrilling 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday.
Chuba Akpom previously played for England’s youth teams, including the U16, U17, U19, and U21 squads. Nevertheless, in September 2019, he publicly declared his intention to switch allegiance and represent Nigeria at the international level.
In a conversation with BBC Sport, Akpom explained the reasoning behind his decision, stating: “It was a personal decision. I’m Nigerian and my whole family feel very Nigerian and it will be nice to represent Nigeria.”
Despite declaring his intention to represent Nigeria in 2019, Chuba Akpom has yet to make his debut for the Super Eagles, with other forwards consistently being selected ahead of the 29-year-old striker.

When asked about his absence from the Nigerian national team, Chuba Akpom admitted that he had no clue, emphasizing the importance of selecting players based on merit: “I don’t have a clue, maybe there’s a lot of good strikers but I think for the nation to progress, it needs to be on merit. The players who are performing need to be selected.”
Akpom reiterated his commitment to giving his best efforts, despite the long wait to represent Nigeria: “I try to give a 100%. I’ve been waiting since 2019. I’ve switched allegiances a long time ago but if it happens, it happens, I’ll just keep working hard.”
Akpom also provided context to his situation and that of other Nigerian-eligible players abroad, explaining the challenges of switching allegiances from England to Nigeria: “When you grow up in England, you play for England’s U16, U17, U18, U19, all the way up to U21. We never have the chance to play for Nigeria at that same level. It’s only when you start to breakthrough in the first team that Nigeria comes for you,” he said.
He further clarified that players like him are not switching allegiances due to a lack of opportunities with England, but rather because they have not had the chance to represent Nigeria from a young age: “It’s not that the players are switching over because they can’t play for England, it’s just that they’ve not had the opportunity to play for Nigeria from a young age. They play in England and they play for England from youth levels all the way up.”

Akpom concluded by reaffirming his desire to represent Nigeria, despite the long wait. “I’m a Nigerian boy, I would love to play for Nigeria. I just haven’t had the chance to, that’s all,” he declared.
The recent appointment of Eric Chelle as the new Super Eagles head coach presents Chuba Akpom with a fresh opportunity to make a lasting impression ahead of the next national team call-up in March.
Nevertheless, Akpom’s immediate priority will be adapting to his potential new surroundings in France and the demands of Ligue 1, following Lille’s agreement to sign him on loan from Ajax until the end of the season.
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