Three Nigeria eligible stars, suffered Euro 2024 snubs. One of them, Karim Adeyemi is subject of this article as we look at what the FIFA rule says about his eligibilty to represent the Super Eagles after Germany’s snub.
KARIM ADEYEMI’S INTERNATIONAL STATUS EXPLAINED
Karim Adeyemi currently represents Germany at the international level but his European Championship snub by Germany means he is still eligible to switch allegiance to Nigeria, offering a potential boost to the Super Eagles.
Despite Adeyemi’s appearances for Germany at various youth levels and even making his senior team debut three years ago, the 22-year-old could opt to play for Nigeria due to his Nigerian heritage through his father.
Frequent visits to Nigeria to invest in local football and promote his academy in Ibadan showcase Adeyemi’s connection to his Nigerian roots.
While Karim Adeyemi has made four competitive appearances for Germany, including in World Cup qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League, his omission from Germany’s Euro 2024 squad presents an opportunity for Nigeria to sway him.
READ MORE: Euro 2024: Olise snub boosts Nigeria’s chase for star winger
WHAT THE RULE SAYS
Under FIFA’s new rule, a player can switch international allegiance if they have played no more than three competitive matches before turning 21, with those matches occurring in international competitions like the World Cup or continental tournaments.
Although Karim Adeyemi’s participation in the UEFA Nations League adds complexity to his eligibility, his absence from Germany’s Euro squad offers hope if Nigeria decides to launch a pursuit for this speedster.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES
Despite suffering Euro 2024 snub, Karim Adeyemi will very likely stick with the German national team. The chances of a Nigeria swap with its uncertainty and complex status is very slim and unlikely.
This is what Karim said about the considering the Super Eagles in a recent interview ” Yes (To accepting to play for Nigeria). “If I had the chance, of course. I think it’s a great national team. In the future, they will be great; they have good players, and in the past, they were also great,” he said
WHICH OTHER NIGERIA ELIGIBLE STAR WAS SNUBBED
Aside from Karim Adeyemi, Nigeria elible stars like Michael Olise (France) and Joshua Zirkzee (Netherlands) were conspiciously missing from lists released for the gathering of Europe’s biggest names.
All three can still play for Nigeria but that will require a lot of work from the Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
