'He dodged a bullet' — Fans react to picture of Eberechi Eze training with Super Eagles

Nigerians have taken to social media to lament what is viewed as a missed opportunity, after photos of Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze made the rounds on the internet.

As Pulse Sports reported, the former Crystal Palace man was one of the foreign-born or raised Nigerian talents invited to train for the Super Eagles in 2017, after a failed friendly match against Burkina Faso. 

While the initiative helped convince the likes of Ola Aina to play for the Super Eagles, the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF were not as lucky with Eze. The federation contacted him on multiple instances and even met with his parents. 

However, Eze opted to play for the England youth setup. Subsequently, he scored his Three Lions debut in 2023 and has gone on to represent the European side 15 more times.

After the pictures hit the internet, fans of the Super Eagles attempted to make sense of the mixed opportunity.

"Only reason he didn’t play for us was cos we didn’t qualify for the Qatar World Cup. A reliable source close to the player said his decision hinged on that. Then again, he had a terrible injury around that time," One commenter said.

"He dodged a bullet by the grace of God," another added. "Man was itching towards his Nigerian roots but was overlooked. Even in 2017, his potential was clear to see. Good thing the Nigerian scouts did not see it."

"Where Eze is playing, he is not having to book his own flights to travel, only for the FA to owe him his bonus payments, and then he has to protest to get paid. Oliseh used to drive buses he hired and paid with his own credit card when in camp in USA That’s Super Eagles’ reality."