Tottenham Hotspur U23 goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi was handed a late call up to the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of the friendly game against Mexico on the 3rd of July.
Oluwayemi was drafted in as a late replacement for injured goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa making him the only foreign base player in the team which is made up of players playing in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
He will act as cover to the duo of Stanley Nwabali and John Noble who isn’t fully fit yet and didn’t even train with the team for once all through their training camp in Abuja ahead of the game.
Who exactly is Joshua Oluwayemi?
He joined the Spurs youth set up in 2017 and the next season he made his debut for the U18. Same year he was made a part of the U19 squad for the UEFA Youth League.
He kept the most clean sheets out of any goalkeeper in the U18 Premier League posting eight clean sheets in 17 games where he conceded just 13 goals throughout the season. His ability to stop penalty kicks also caught the eyes as he stopped five, more than any goalkeeper in that division.
Spurs handed him a two year professional contract in 2019 and the next year loaned him to National League side Maidenhead United for him to have a taste of senior football. He remained until January 2021.
Last season he recovered from a long injury lay off and kept goal in 12 games where he conceded 13 goals with two clean sheets for the U23 in the Premier League 2.
Why was he called up?
The timing of the injury to Ezenwa and Noble’s lack of fitness made it too short to get a visa for any that will be called up as replacement or cover. Oluwayemi holds a British passport which means he won’t be requiring a visa to enter the USA for the game on Sunday. He played for England at U15 and U16 level but won’t be requiring a switch of allegiance process as that level isn’t recognized by FIFA at part of international football.
