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
OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively report that former England youth team custodian Arthur Okonkwo’s nationality move has been confirmed by FIFA, allowing him to play for the senior national team of Nigeria.
The 22-year-old Okonkwo, who is currently on loan from Arsenal to Wrexham in English League Two, asked to change his nationality from England to Nigeria. Okonkwo was a junior level international in England, appearing in 11 matches between the ages of 15 and 18, with his last cap coming in 2018.
According to information that we exclusively learned, FIFA approved the switch, allowing Jose Peseiro, the head coach of Nigeria’s senior national team, to choose him. However, Peseiro’s ability to do so will depend on how well he performs, as Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has solidified his position as the team’s new first choice goalkeeper following an outstanding performance at the AFCON.
He has preserved 26 clean sheets in 26 appearances across all competitions at third-division Wrexham, giving up just 26 goals in the process. With six clean sheets in 18 games, he had a respectable season with Austrian team Sturm Graz last year.
He spent the first half of the previous season on loan at Crewe Alexandria in League Two, where he maintained ten clean sheets in 36 appearances, before joining the Austrian team. When he returns to Arsenal in the summer after his current loan period, his club future will be resolved as his international future is being resolved.
