Siasia: Foreign-Born Super Eagles Players Lack Emotional Bond With Nigeria

Siasia: Foreign-Born Super Eagles Players Lack Emotional Bond With Nigeria

By BSN Sports 

 Former Super Eagles forward and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champion, Samson Siasia, has expressed skepticism over the commitment of foreign-born players currently representing Nigeria’s national team, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Speaking during an interview on UTVAfrica with Emmanuel Babayaro, Siasia reflected on the evolution of player development in Nigerian football, contrasting his generation with the current crop of Super Eagles players. He emphasized that many of today’s players lack the deep-rooted connection to Nigerian football, having been born or raised abroad and bypassing the local league system.

“In our time, players developed within the Nigerian system, went to Europe, and returned stronger. Today, we are calling up players from Europe who never played in our domestic league. It’s a different scenario,” Siasia noted.

The former Super Eagles coach singled out players like Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, and Calvin Bassey—who were all born or brought up abroad—as examples. He suggested that many of these dual-nationality players may have opted for Nigeria only after being overlooked by their countries of birth.

“If they had the opportunity to represent those European nations, most wouldn’t be playing for Nigeria,” Siasia stated, raising questions about their long-term dedication to the national cause.

His comments come as the Super Eagles prepare for key 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October against Lesotho and Benin Republic.