Wrexham’s Okonkwo tipped to bring competition to Super Eagles squad

Wrexham’s Arthur Okonkwo recently switched nationality from England to Nigeria and has been tipped to provide more competition to the already-blessed Super Eagles squad, Afrik Foot reports.

The 24-year-old started his career with Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, but was released in 2023.

He’s gone on to star for Wrexham since then, playing 120 games and gaining promotion to the EFL Championship.

Peterside opines on Okonkwo’s Super Eagles switch

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Idah Peterside was delighted with the switch, claiming it’s a good move for the Nigerian National team.

“Well, every time we get a player to play for Nigeria, it’s good news. I think we’re almost 220 million people and we want to win trophies, no matter how we win them, especially with our own citizens,” the two-cap Nigerian goalkeeper said in quotes revealed by Footy Africa.

“I’ve seen the goalkeeper—I saw him play, I think in the FA Cup or something, in one of the FA Cup games. And, well, Nigeria is a big country; we have some good goalkeepers that are coming out now.

“Like I said, the competition is absolutely good. And again, we are seeing that our foreign-born players want to come back to Nigeria; it’s a good omen for us, and I don’t mind bringing in as many as possible.

“We have three good goalkeepers now in Nigeria—really three good goalkeepers.

“We still have Okoye, we have Stanley, and we have Francis [Uzoho] as well. So, I think in that department we do not lack; we really, really do not lack.

“So, we have a great team now. It’s quite unfortunate that we didn’t go to the World Cup, or else the world would have seen what we have.

“But well, we’re still building, we’re still believing that the AFCON is coming, the qualifiers are here. So once opportunities avail themselves, we will see how well he can do if he’s invited.

“For a goalkeeper, sometimes one game is not good enough to determine how good a goalkeeper is. But he has to come to camp, we have to see him play constantly,” the 52-year-old concluded.

Okonkwo could make his debut for the Super Eagles when they kick off the Unity Cup next month.