Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has shed light on why Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze chose not to represent the Super Eagles despite being close to committing to the national team.
Pinnick, who headed the NFF from October 2014 to October 2022, oversaw a period marked by an influx of foreign-born players switching allegiance to Nigeria.
During his tenure, the likes of Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina, Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey pledged their futures to the Super Eagles. However, Nigeria also missed out on several top prospects, including Jamal Musiala, Karim Adeyemi, Tammy Abraham and Eze.
Eberechi Eze’s link to Nigeria dates back to March 2017, when the then 18-year-old Queens Park Rangers midfielder was pictured in a Super Eagles jersey during a training camp in London.
He had been invited by former head coach Gernot Rohr ahead of planned friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso, fixtures that were later called off due to security concerns.
According to Pinnick, all the groundwork had been completed for Eze’s switch before the player and his representatives opted to delay the decision.
“Eberechi Eze came, I met the dad, and we had a long discussion, and he agreed to play for Nigeria,” Pinnick said on the Playzone and Dangolo Way show.
“His sister was his manager at the time, came to my flat, and we already had all the documentation in place.
“However, they told us to hold on, and that was it. Maybe then the elections came, and I left the NFF, and that’s probably why he didn’t play.
“Possibly, because Eberechi loved Nigeria, I can tell you that. I went through my messages with him at some point.”
Pinnick also reflected on the difficult process of convincing Ademola Lookman to commit to Nigeria after initially rejecting the opportunity twice.
“Lookman was very tough. I didn’t even know his father was in Nigeria, but I was referred to him, and we played tennis together at the Ikoyi club when we were trying to sign the documentation,” he added.
“It was tough, but eventually we got him and so many others.”
Eze eventually chose to represent England and made his senior debut for the Three Lions in 2023. He has since earned 16 international caps, starting in four matches.
