Former Nigeria captain Mikel Obi has praised Ademola Lookman for selecting Nigeria over England for senior international football.
The Chelsea veteran once again took a jab at players who were born outside of Nigeria for waiting the decision until they have been entirely ignored by their countries of birth in the latter stages of their careers, while applauding the Atalanta forward on ESPN for making the decision early in his career.
“So, if you wait and you decline, you want to play for Germany or you want to play for England, just wait. Commit to your decision. But don’t wait until you are past your best and we become a second option,” said Mikel, who scored six goals in 91 appearances for Nigeria between 2005 and 2019 and also captained the U23 team to bronze in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
“I think Lookman made the right decision to switch quickly and saw ‘I’m going to represent my African country. I’m going to play for Nigeria’. He is having an amazing season. He played really well in the last AFCON. What a fantastic player he has been. Fair play to him,” added Mikel, who recently expressed reservations about players making Nigeria a second option in their choice of international football.
Lookman played for England in the U-19, U-20, and U-21 competitions before deciding to become a Nigerian citizen in 2022. Since then, in 25 games with the Super Eagles, he has eight goals.
Over the past two years, he has been Nigeria’s finest player. He left a lasting impression at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where his goals propelled the side to victory over the host nation.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
