…as Netherlands cap Nigeria’s Danjuma
Liverpool winger Bobby Adekanye is considering switching his international allegiance to Nigeria, and have his eyes set on U-23 team invitation ahead of the 2020 Olympic
Games.
Born in Ibadan to Nigerian parents, the former Barcelona wonderkid is eligible to represent the three-time African champions internationally but he is provisionally cap-tied to the Netherlands, the country in which he was raised.
Adekanye played three matches for Netherlands U17s in 2015 in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers and was part of their U16 setup but has been in the international wilderness
for three years.
He played on the same Netherlands U17 side as AS Roma’s Justin Kluivert , who is now a full international for the Netherlands.
The Point gathered that the 19-year-old will not deny his country of birth if he is handed a call-up to Nigeria’s Dream Team ahead of the 2020 Olympic
Games.
Adekanye never turned down an approach from Nigeria before making his maiden appearance for Netherlands youth level as he insisted that he would have honored the invitation from the then Nigeria U17 coach Emmanuel Amuneke if his club had been
contacted.
His performances for Liverpool U23 team this season caught the eye of manager Jurgen Klopp, who invited him to train with the first team during this month’s international
break.
Aside Adekanye, The Royal Dutch Football Association are in the driving seat to cap another Nigerian-born winger, Club Brugge’s Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld, after naming him in their provisional squad for October’s games against Germany and Belgium.
Netherlands manager, Ronald Koeman has included Danjuma in a 31-man provisional squad list for the international matches against neighboring countries Germany and Belgium.
Netherlands will face Germany in the UEFA Nations League on October 13 before an international friendly with Belgium at Stade Roi Baudouin Brussels three days
later.
Should Danjuma make the final squad set to be announced this week and features against the Germans, he will become cap-tied to the
Netherlands.
The Dutch Federation are aware that the Lagos-born left winger is on the radar of the Nigeria Football Federation and want to tie down the player as soon as
possible.
The PSV Eindhoven Academy product has scored 2 goals in 6 appearances for Netherlands U21s and has been rewarded with a maiden call-up to the senior squad after scoring 4 goals in his last six games for Club Brugge in the First
Division A.
