Archive for tag: Nigeria.

Shola wants to go to the World Cup!

November 18th, 2009 | 16 Comments |

World Cup dreams alive?
World Cup dreams alive?
And I’m not just talking about spending some hard-earned cash to go and cheer on The Three Lions. Shola’s talking about actually playing in the World Cup 2010. I know, I know, this is a kid who could barely get in the Newcastle first eleven until this season and has repeatedly underacheived year on year.

However, after coming into good form at the start of this season, he’s been giving some thought to representing Nigeria, his country of birth and where he lived until he was six when he moved to Newcastle. Having played for England at Under-21 level, originally that’s where his international dream lay, but in giving himself a more realistic chance of making the finals, he’s turned his attention to his home nation for whom he is still elligible to play.

Although I was blissfully ignorant to the fact, or at least had forgotten it happened, the Nigerian FA chiefs have tried to call him up to represent Nigeria before but it is only now that Ameobi has expressed an interest in doing so. Ameobi said:

“It was a great honour for me to represent England at Under-21 level and my mum and dad were so proud of me.

“But they would love to see me play for Nigeria. I see myself as Nigerian, I was born and bred there.

“It’s not about changing allegiances. I’ve got Nigerian roots and I’m proud of my country, the country where I was born and spent the first five or six years of my life. (more…)