Player Who Dumped Germany for Nigeria Brags About His Club Form Amid Super Eagles Snub
- TSG Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma has bragged about his time at the German club and Super Eagles' snub
- Akpoguma represented Germany at youth levels before switching his international allegiance to play for Nigeria
- He has not played for the Nigerian national team in over a year and recently cried out over his lack of opportunities
Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
A German-born defender has opened up about his club form despite the lack of call-ups by the Nigerian national team more than a year after his last appearance.
In recent times, the Nigerian Football Federation made efforts to get players of dual nationality, particularly those born outside the country, to switch their international allegiance.
Source: Getty Images
NFF got some players to switch to represent Nigeria, while some others opted to play for their foreign countries even if it meant they did not get many opportunities.
Ademola Lookman winning the CAF POTY is a beacon for other players after the Atalanta forward ascended to the summit of African football nearly two years after his switch.
Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi and Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong are other top players who have succeeded in the Nigerian national team.
Akpoguma brags about Hoffenheim form
TSG Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma was one of the players who dumped their European country, Germany, and switched to play for Nigeria.
He initially turned down several opportunities from the NFF before finally agreeing to switch his allegiance in 2020, making his debut in the 1-0 loss to Algeria.
He reflected on his career during an interview with Hoffenheim’s official website, pointing at what helped him have a career at the top despite his talent level.
“I've grown with my career, I'll be 30 next year, so I'm slowly approaching the autumn of my career,” he said.
Hoffenheim has sold a lot of top stars in German football and for Akpoguma to have been at the club for about 10 years, he believes he has done something right even if he has not attracted interest from top clubs.
“I may never have been a top talent like Niklas Süle, Joelinton, or Christoph Baumgartner, who were sold for a lot of money, but I delivered my performances,” he added.
“And as long as the club wants to go down this path with me, I will continue to give one hundred per cent for TSG.”
Rilwan Balogun, a Nigerian journalist based in the UK, agrees with Akpoguma, adding that talent alone is not enough as consistency is a difficult task to take up.
“Football, or anything in life, needs more consistency than talent. There are so many talented people in the world. It’s quite normal to be talented, really. But consistency isn’t something everyone can achieve,” he told Legit.ng.
“Consistency is a great tool to have for anyone, especially talented people. The mixture of both can be excellent. Consistency with minimal talent can achieve reasonable levels of fulfilment and success. Talent without consistency can only help one go so far.”
“In Akpoguma’s case, I think he’s been consistent, and that has helped him. He’s also been available and looks like one who pays attention to his physical state. That’s why he’s stayed at that level for that long,” he added.
As noted by ANS, his opportunity could arrive soon with Super Eagles ready to ring changes in the central defence. Though he belongs to the group of ageing players.
Akpoguma laments Super Eagles’ snub
Legit.ng reported on Akpoguma lamenting Super Eagles snub after failing to earn a call-up for more than a year despite maintaining a good form for his German club.
The player expressed disappointment at not receiving call-up but is not let down and will keep up his performances and hopefully can be called up any moment from now.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
