Site icon Connectnigeria Articles

Nigerians In Sports: Akpoguma Cleared By FIFA To Play For Nigeria

Qed NG

  Kevin Akpoguma has gotten clearance from FIFA to play for the Nigerian national team with immediate effect. The Hoffenheim defender who was born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a German mother decided to switch allegiance from Germany to feature for the three times African champions. Akpoguma who has represented Germany at youth level which saw him captain the German U-20 national team to victory over Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup and has made a total of 62 appearances for the European nation’s youth teams before deciding it was time to wear the colours of the African football giant.
Read more about Sports
The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has expressed delight at the prospect of the defender featuring against Algeria and Tunisia, the opponents of the Super Eagles in October 2020, FIFA international window, as Wilfried Ndidi and Ogenekharo Etebo has both been withdrawn from the squad due to injuries.
‘With regards to the injuries to Ndidi and Etebo, it does mean Coach Gernot Rohr might be a bit light in the middle. However, I’m extremely happy to announce that FIFA has just granted Hoffenheim defender and former German U-20 national team skipper Kevin Ufuoma Akpoguma permission to make his switch to Nigeria with immediate effect.’ Amaju Melvin Pinnick

Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
Akpoguma who was at the Eagles camp in Austria to familiarize with the national team set up on Monday, October 5, 2020, got the news of his clearance while still trying to bond with his new national teammates, and is now likely to feature for the Super Eagles as they file out against Algeria on Friday, October 9, 2020, and Tunisia on October 13, 2020. With Akpoguma’s switch, competition in the central defence pack of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations champions is expected to be stiff as the likes of Kenneth Omeruo, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, and Chidozie Awaziem all battle for shirts, giving Gernot Rohr a lot of options to pick from. Source: All Nigeria Soccer Featured Image Source: Qed NG
Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor at connectnigeria dot com
Exit mobile version