Ex Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has opened up about the unused opportunity to bring former Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze to the Super Eagles,he blamed internal administrative changes for derailing the process.
Eze, the Arsenal-linked attacking midfielder who was born in London to Nigerian parents, ultimately chose to represent England, where he has since made 16 senior appearances in which he scored three goals, including featuring at the 2024 European Championship.
Nigeria first showed serious interest in the former Queens Park Rangers academy product in March 2017, inviting him to train with the Super Eagles ahead of a friendly against Burkina Faso. The match was later canceled, preventing any official call-up or cap for the three-time African champions.
Pinnick insisted that Eze initially had affection for Nigeria, adding, “Very positively, Eberechi Eze, trust me, he loves Nigeria, he actually did. I was going through my messages with him at some point.”
Despite the positive momentum and completed groundwork, including documentation, the agreement failed when NFF elections approached and Pinnick exited office. Eze was not committed for several years before debuting for England in 2023.
 President Amaju Pinnick has opened up about the unused opportunity to bring former Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze to the Super Eagles,he blamed internal administrative changes for derailing the process.){kind=link}