Jesse Marsch has named three players of Nigerian descent in Canada’s squad for upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies, and the NFF’s window to secure at least two of them is narrowing fast.
Canada’s national team squad for their March international window contains three names that will be familiar to anyone tracking Nigeria’s dual-nationality recruitment pipeline: goalkeeper Owen Goodman, forward Aribim Pepple of Plymouth Argyle, and striker Tani Oluwaseyi. All three have Nigerian heritage. Two of them still have decisions to make. One is already gone.
The Canadian Football Association confirmed the squad for pre-World Cup friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia in Toronto. For host nation Canada, these matches are warm-up preparation for the biggest tournament they have ever staged. For the NFF, they are another reminder that the race for dual-national players with African roots is being won by North American and European competitors who are moving decisively while Nigeria hesitates.
The Three Players and Where They Stand
Tani Oluwaseyi is the straightforward case. Born in Abuja, he committed to Canada by representing them at the 2024 Copa America, which cap-tied him under FIFA rules. There is no route back to the Super Eagles, and Canada clearly value him as part of their forward options heading into the home World Cup. His inclusion reinforces Canada’s investment in him and draws a definitive line under any remaining hope the NFF may have harboured.
Aribim Pepple is more interesting from a Nigerian perspective. The Plymouth Argyle forward has been in outstanding domestic form, scoring 14 goals this season in the Championship. He was once on Nigeria’s radar, having been invited to the Golden Eaglets camp ahead of the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, but that youth involvement did not result in a cap-tying appearance. His place in the Canada squad now puts his long-term international future squarely in focus. If Pepple plays competitive minutes for Canada before Eric Chelle’s staff can act, he will be lost to Nigeria permanently.
Owen Goodman, the goalkeeper, remains technically available to Nigeria as well. He has been included in Canada squads previously but has not made a senior debut, preserving his eligibility for either side. Whether the NFF has made any direct contact with him or his representatives is not publicly known, but goalkeeping depth has been an ongoing conversation in Nigerian football circles, making him a player worth pursuing before Canada closes that door too.
A Pattern Nigeria Keeps Losing
This is not an isolated incident. The broader trend of Nigeria losing dual-national players to Canada, England, Germany, France and other countries has accelerated over the past three years. The pattern is consistent: a player of Nigerian heritage excels at club level in Europe or North America, gets noticed by a country that moves quickly, receives a call-up before the NFF acts, and becomes cap-tied through competitive appearances. By the time Nigerian media and supporters raise the alarm, the window has already closed.
Also absent from the Canada squad through injury is Promise David, another player with Nigerian connections who recently underwent surgery. His absence does not change the broader picture. Stay informed on all Super Eagles recruitment news and dual-nationality developments at FootballInNigeria.com.ng. Nigerian fans who want to back the Super Eagles’ March friendlies against Iran and Jordan can register with Bet9ja using the Bet9ja promo code YOHAIG for a first deposit welcome bonus.
What Nigeria Can Still Do
The eligibility clock has not run out on Goodman and Pepple yet. Neither has made a senior competitive appearance for Canada. Nigeria’s best move is direct, personal contact — not through newspaper campaigns or social media debates, but through formal outreach from Eric Chelle’s technical team and the NFF to the players and their agents. Pepple’s 14 goals this season make him exactly the kind of finisher Nigeria needs in depth, and Goodman’s profile fits a gap in goalkeeping options that the departure of Nwabali has made even more visible. The urgency is real. Friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia are this month.
📌 Did You Know?
- Canada are co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, making them automatic qualifiers for the tournament. The entire 2026 qualifying cycle has been about Canada building and developing their squad for the home tournament rather than securing a spot.
- Aribim Pepple’s 14 goals for Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Championship this season would place him among the top five scorers in the second tier of English football. Plymouth, who were promoted to the Championship in 2023, have relied heavily on Pepple as their primary attacking threat this season.
- FIFA’s eligibility rules allow a player to represent a new country at senior level if they have not made a senior competitive appearance for their previous association. Youth appearances, including at World Cups, do not count for cap-tying purposes unless they were made for a senior competitive fixture.
- Canada’s Jesse Marsch was appointed head coach in January 2023. The American coach previously managed RB Leipzig, Leeds United and New York Red Bulls, bringing a high-pressing, data-driven approach that has suited Canada’s athletic profile of players.
- Nigeria have lost at least seven significant dual-national players to other countries in the past four years, including Carney Chukwuemeka (England), Noah Ajayi (Germany’s youth system), and Honest Ahanor (Italy). The cumulative talent drain from this pattern is significant when stacked against the Super Eagles’ recent qualification struggles.
- Tani Oluwaseyi was born in Abuja, making him unusual among Nigeria-eligible strikers who end up representing other nations, as he actually grew up in Nigeria rather than being born in a foreign country to Nigerian parents. His path to Canadian international football illustrates how early development environments shape national allegiance.
- Plymouth Argyle, where Aribim Pepple plays, returned to the second tier of English football after a 50-year absence when they were promoted in 2023. The club’s stadium, Home Park, has one of the most atmospheric atmospheres in lower-league English football and holds just over 18,000 supporters.
