Head coach of the senior national team of Austria Ralf Ragnick has assured LASK shot stopper Tobias Lawal that he is in his plans hence shouldn’t consider the option of playing for Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Lawal is eligible for both countries as he was born to a Nigerian father and an Austrian mother. He trained with the senior national team of Nigeria three years ago but issues surrounding dual citizenship in Austria made him to leave the camp.
Former coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr who handed him the call up back then explained that they were told that he will have to give up his Austrian passport, before he can get a Nigerian passport.
However recent check by veteran Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwuna shows that the 23 year old can indeed play for Nigeria. He posted his finding on social media platform X.
“Lawal obtained his Nigerian and Austrian citizenships by birth. Austrian law permits the retention of both nationalities under such circumstances. It is only acquiring another citizenship through naturalization, as Schwarzenegger did, that is prohibited. Whether they were aware of this when he left the Super Eagles camp or not, I cannot say, but that’s the reason he didn’t play for Nigeria”, he posted.
The information has no doubt opened the door for Lawal who has risen to the role of first choice goalkeeper at LASK in their league games and also Europa League. Yesterday he was in goal for the entirety of their 1-2 loss to Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise.
His recent run of games puts him in pole position to solve the Super Eagles goalkeeper crisis especially with the recent revelation made by Osasu. But the major stumbling block is Ragnick, the former coach of English Premier League side Manchester United.
” I know he was called up to be a part of a training camp last year by the coach. He has already assured him of his spot in his team and last week we woke up to news of his call up to the senior national team when they converge for the next international break. Ragnick is aware that he is eligible for Nigeria and has told him to shun the idea and focus on Austria”, Morgan Douglas an Austria based journalist told OwngoalNigeria.com.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
