The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that the international switch of Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo is still being processed, Footynaija.com reports.
Okonkwo, 24, was born in London to Nigerian parents and came through Arsenal’s academy over more than a decade before eventually finding his feet at Wrexham, where he has become one of the Championship’s more reliable goalkeepers.
He represented England at youth level up to the under-18s, but with senior recognition never coming, he chose to switch his allegiance to Nigeria. FIFA approved the request in December, clearing the path in principle.
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However, NFF’s Head of International Competitions Dayo Enebi has told Footy-Africa that there are still administrative steps to complete before the goalkeeper is formally eligible.
“The process is still ongoing and has not been completed yet,” Enebi said.
“Okonkwo is one we are looking at, but as of today, his international switch has not been concluded.”
Switch in progress
A member of the NFF’s Technical Committee went a step further, confirming that Okonkwo is one of several players being monitored for possible inclusion ahead of the March friendlies against Jordan and Iran in Amman.
“He is definitely one of the players being primed to switch to Nigeria even though the switch is still in progress. From what I know, there are others too, as the coaching crew is looking to strengthen areas where reinforcements are needed,” the official reportedly said.
Nigeria’s current goalkeeping options are led by ex-Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabali, with Francis Uzoho, Maduka Okoye and teenage prospect Ebenezer Harcourt also in the mix.
Okonkwo, who stands at 6ft 6in and has kept eight clean sheets in 31 Championship appearances this season, would add a different dimension to that group.
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