Fifa approves ex-German youth star’s switch to Nigeria

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4HWU4ks-sA-Puk2tLUICN6bNYoZddXNyzVuJ5lrBJn7wpnpZO4d_25Ht-EkbOgyRdKAUnRm854NHOnfbz9MX9WPrbgQ2Fvi4A64o-NYuQXdxjQ977csPn2kvxbbAlQ5t5qX1hJ-Aokk/s750/akpoguma-fifa-approves-ex-german-youth-stars-switch-to-nigeria-750x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4HWU4ks-sA-Puk2tLUICN6bNYoZddXNyzVuJ5lrBJn7wpnpZO4d_25Ht-EkbOgyRdKAUnRm854NHOnfbz9MX9WPrbgQ2Fvi4A64o-NYuQXdxjQ977csPn2kvxbbAlQ5t5qX1hJ-Aokk/s320/akpoguma-fifa-approves-ex-german-youth-stars-switch-to-nigeria-750x375.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: inherit;">The 25-year-old has already teamed up with the Super Eagles for their upcoming friendlies, having been cleared by the world football governing body</span></p><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: auto !important; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick has confirmed Fifa’s approval of Kevin Akpoguma to switch allegiance to Nigeria.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">The defender was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father and has represented Germany at various youth levels.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Akpoguma is, however, still eligible to feature for the Super Eagles since he is yet to play for the European country’s senior team.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">The centre-back has been delivering consistent performances for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim since joining the club in 2015.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Last season, he made 18 league appearances for the Kraichgauer to help his side finish sixth in the campaign.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Ahead of the West Africans’ friendlies against Algeria and Tunisia on October 9 and 13 respectively, Pinnick revealed the 25-year-old has been given the green light to play for Nigeria.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m extremely happy to announce that Fifa has just granted Hoffenheim defender and former German U20 national team skipper Kevin Ufuoma Akpoguma permission to make his switch to Nigeria with immediate effect,” Pinnick tweeted. </p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Akpoguma has already linked up with Gernot Rohr’s men in Austria, who are preparing for their games against the Desert Foxes and the Carthage Eagles.</p><blockquote style="border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 4px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #7b7b7b; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><p dir="ltr" lang="und" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="📸" class="emoji" data-pin-no-hover="true" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.0/svg/1f4f8.svg" style="background: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font: inherit; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /> #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong pic.twitter.com/6DiVfd8Tzc</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">— <img alt="🇳🇬" class="emoji" data-pin-no-hover="true" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.0/svg/1f1f3-1f1ec.svg" style="background: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font: inherit; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /> Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 5, 2020</p></blockquote><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Last month, Super Eagles coach Rohr explained how he convinced the defender to make his switch to the three-time African champions.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“It was not my job to convince [Kevin] Akpoguma to come and play for Nigeria. I had a good conversation with him and his family while watching several games in Hoffenheim,” Rohr said.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“After the matches, we met and could talk. I presented our projects and I could speak about the team, about this incredible period in the Super Eagles and my vision for the team.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“He was sold on this and would love to be a part of the team and play in big international competitions like the Africa Cup of Nations or even the World Cup.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“We are very happy about the decision of Kevin Akpoguma to switch from Germany to Nigeria. Because he played for Germany at youth level, the process is not finished yet because Fifa must give the authorisation.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">“He has fulfilled the written request to the switch and we only await the good news that he can finally play for us.”</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">Having been cleared by Fifa, Akpoguma could play a part in Super Eagles’ friendlies in Austria.</p></div>

Fifa Sport Fifa approves ex-German youth star’s switch to Nigeria

  The 25-year-old has already teamed up with the Super Eagles for their upcoming friendlies, having been cleared by the world football gover...

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