Talented and lanky defender Tosin Adarabioyo of London football club Chelsea FC has yet to decide whether or not to play for the Nigerian Super Eagles.
The 27-year-old Nigerian-born London native has played for England at several youth levels and is still eligible to play for Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the senior level.
Adarabioyo recently made his first trip to Lagos, Nigeria, following a stellar first season with his club, Chelsea, in which he won the Club World Cup.
During his visit, he paid Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu a courtesy call and introduced the Tosin Adarabioyo Youth Cup, a grassroots football competition designed to develop young talent.
The defender expressed a profound connection to his roots during his stay. “As soon as you touch down and you step off the plane, you automatically feel that calmness, that you’re at home; you breathe the air, you just feel it—it felt very special,” he told Arise News.
However, when pressed on the long-standing question of his international allegiance, Adarabioyo maintained his cautious stance. “It’s something I still think about. We’ll see shortly, hopefully, and I’ll start to make a decision,” he stated. “It’s just something that has obviously been a topic for many years now since I’ve become a professional footballer. But again, like I said, we’ll see.”
Since all of Adarabioyo’s youth appearances for England (U16 to U19) were friendly games, he does not need a formal change of association from FIFA, making his eligibility to represent Nigeria clear.
The player’s camp has repeatedly asked for more time to make a choice, despite talks between his representatives and previous Super Eagles coaches, such as current head coach Eric Chelle and former manager José Peseiro.
