Odemwingie Urges NFF to Focus on Homegrown Talent, Slams Hunt for Foreign-Born Players
Former Super Eagles forward Osaze Odemwingie has challenged the Nigeria Football Federation’s strategy of recruiting foreign-born players. He believes prioritising homegrown talent will restore pride in the national team. Speaking on Brila FM, Odemwingie criticised what he called “pampering” of dual-nationality stars. “For me, I never needed any pampering. If Nigeria pampers me, that’s more than enough,” he said. He warned that too many Nigerian-born players now represent other countries, threatening Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness. “Imagine if one day the entire England squad is made up of Nigerians,” he questioned. Odemwingie urged the NFF to combine Nigeria’s natural ability with stronger youth development structures. He earned 65 caps for the Super Eagles between 2002 and 2014.
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