Going, going, gone: Nigeria miss out as 18yo Club Brugge winger plays cap-tying game for Norway

The Nigeria Football Federation have missed out on the services of talented Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

Nusa is no longer eligible to represent the Nigeria national teams after he played a cap-tying game for his country of birth, Norway on Sunday night, coming off the bench for the final 32 minutes of a 1-0 loss to Spain in a 2024 European Championship qualifier staged at the Ullevaal Stadion.

The game against Spain was Nusa's fourth international match for Norway's senior national team, meaning he cannot request for a change of association in line with Fifa's regulations.

Previously, the 18-year-old qualified to represent the Super Eagles through his Nigerian father but the Norwegians were always in the driving seat for his services as he had earned caps for the Scandinavians at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels.

Nusa has earned a reputation as one of the most talented teenagers in the world on the back of his impressive performances for Club Brugge and the Norwegian national team. 

The former Stabæk Fotball wonderkid scored and assisted on his senior debut for Norway, registered a brace of assists in his second game versus Georgia and provided another assist in  a 4-0 win over Cyprus last week.

Antonio comes from a footballing family - his father John Nusa played at a fairly high level in Norway and Nigeria. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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