Noni Madueke has received his first senior England call-up, delivering a blow to Super Eagles fans who had hoped the Chelsea winger would represent Nigeria.
Interim England manager Lee Carsley included Madueke in a 26-man squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Ireland on September 7 and Finland at Wembley on September 10.
Madueke’s call-up comes on the back of an outstanding start to the 2024/25 season. The 22-year-old has been in red-hot form, scoring four goals in his last two matches, including a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 6-2 demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Despite being eligible to play for Nigeria through his father, Madueke has opted to continue his international career with England, having already represented the country at youth levels.
This decision is a significant disappointment for Nigeria fans, who had hoped to see the talented winger provide competition for the likes of Samuel Chukwueze in the Super Eagles setup.
No Super Eagles path for Madueke
Born in London to Nigerian parents of Igbo descent, Chelsea’s Noni Madueke is the latest European-born player poised to turn down the opportunity to represent Nigeria. The talented winger appears set to follow in the footsteps of Michael Olise, who recently made a similar decision.
Olise, who transferred to Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace this summer, was selected to represent France at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 22-year-old winger, who had been eligible to play for Nigeria, opted to commit to the French national team.
In recent years, players like Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina, and Ademola Lookman, along with other Nigerian stars who represented England at youth levels, have chosen to play for the Super Eagles at senior level.
