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EMEKA CHARLES
Spain 2 Nigeria 0? NFF Involved in Another Tug-of-War After Missing Out on 25-Goal Porto Striker
The Nigeria Football Federation
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suffered another high-profile international setback after Spanish-born Nigerian striker Samu Aghehowa committed his future to Spain, leaving Nigerian fans and officials to lament yet another lost talent, according to All Nigeria Soccer.
Aghehowa, one of European football’s most exciting young forwards, made a decisive appearance for Spain in their thrilling 5-4 UEFA Nations League semifinal victory over France on June 5. The FC Porto star came off the bench late in the game, a cap-tying move that officially binds him to the reigning European champions and ends his eligibility to represent the Super Eagles.
Before that match, Aghehowa remained open to switching allegiances despite having made his Spain debut in November 2024 against Switzerland. At the time, his senior cap was classified as a non-binding appearance under FIFA rules due to his age. That window has now closed.
The 21-year-old forward had emerged as a key transfer and international target following a breakout season with Portuguese giants FC Porto, scoring 25 goals in all competitions and drawing the attention of national selectors across Europe. The NFF, eager to secure his services, mounted an aggressive campaign to convince him to represent Nigeria, deploying NFF Technical Director and former Super Eagles captain Augustine Eguavoen — a fellow Edo State native — to leverage his personal ties with the Aghehowa family
Despite those efforts, Spain ultimately won the race, marking yet another international coup and compounding the NFF’s struggles in retaining dual-national players.
Now, the focus shifts to a similar battle for Edna Imade, a Granada-based forward eligible to represent either Spain or Nigeria. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) are reportedly monitoring Imade closely, while the NFF has already made contact to convince the young starlet to join the Super Falcons setup.
The situation has sparked growing concern among fans and analysts, who point to a worrying trend of Nigeria losing top talents to European nations due to late action, lack of structured pathways, and limited early opportunities. Following recent misses such as Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and now Aghehowa, the scoreboard increasingly favors Spain — and the pressure on the NFF is mounting
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