Sports Briefs
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SUNDAY Oliseh, head coach of Super Eagles, wants Jordan Ibe, 19, to play for Nigeria and not England. Oliseh held talks with the Nigerian youngster born in England to switch his allegiance to Nigeria. Ibe, who plies his trade for Liverpool football club, has represented England at U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels and was recently promoted to U-21 coached by Gareth Southgate, but is still eligible to play for Nigeria at the highest level because of his Nigerian roots.
Oliseh was at Melwood during the week with a high-powered Nigerian delegation to persuade the starlet but the Football Association, (England FA) is also interested in keeping him and wants him to play for England. Daniel Sturridge, his teammate at Liverpool, once described him as the future of the England national team.
Ibe spent the early years of his life in Bermondsey, London, but his parents hail from Nigeria and the personal visit from Oliseh underlines Nigeria’s intent to make the young Liverpool forward an integral part of the national team.
If Ibe eventually says “Yes” to Nigeria, he will follow in the footsteps of players like Victor Moses and Shola Ameobi who went on to represent Nigeria at senior level after previously playing for England at youth level.
Ibe will not be bound to England until he plays in a competitive game for the national team. The youngster made his senior Liverpool debut in 2012.
— Aug 17, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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