One of the strikers expected to line up against the Super Eagles of Nigeria for Benin Republic when both teams clash in the world cup qualifiers says he could easily have represented Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Aiyegun who plays for French Ligue 1 side Lorient was born in Nigeria but has ancestral connection to Benin Republic through his mother, the team he is now representing at senior international level, he already has three goals from his nine caps so far.
The 25 year old says he could have had a different international career if he had listened to erstwhile Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who coincidentally is now the coach of Benin Republic.
” In 2018 while I was at Latvian side Ventspils I met with the then coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr after our Europa League game against Bordeaux. He assured me and two others (Adeleke Akinyemi, Abdullahi Alfa) in my team that he has our names in his list for a future call up”, Aiyegun told OwnGoalNigeria.com.
” When I moved to a top league in FC Zurich he was no longer at the helm as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria. So all that conversation is now in the past and I am happy to be working with him in Benin Republic”, he stated.
This season hasn’t been the best for the forward with his team languishing in the drop zone, he also hasn’t matched the form that earned him a summer transfer to the Ligue 1 side from FC Zurich with just two goals to his name from 16 matches.
Ade Emmanuel
