22 Year Old Goalkeeper With 11 Caps For England At Youth Level and Chelsea Summer target Gets Approval By FIFA To Play For Super Eagles
Former England youth team custodian Arthur Okonkwo’s nationality move has been confirmed by the world football regulatory body (FIFA), allowing him to play for Nigeria’s senior national team, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
Okonkwo, 22, who is on loan from Arsenal to English League Two side Wrexham, has sought to change his nationality to Nigeria from England, where he was a junior youth international, appearing in 11 games between U15 and U18.
According to what we have exclusively learned, FIFA approved the switch, making him available for selection by Nigeria’s senior national team coach, Jose Peseiro, but that is contingent on his form, with Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali fully established as the team’s new first choice goalkeeper following a superb performance at the AFCON.
At Wrexham, a third-tier club, he has kept 11 clean sheets in 26 games across all competitions, conceding only 26 goals. He had a reasonably successful season with Austrian club Sturm Graz, keeping six clean sheets in 18 games.
Prior to joining the Austrian club, he spent the first half of the season on loan with Crewe Alexandria in League Two, where he recorded 10 clean sheets in 36 games. While his international career is secure, his club future will be determined in the summer when he returns to Arsenal from his current loan spell.
