Newly signed Inter Milan defender Manuel Akanji has opened up on the reason why he played for the national team of Switzerland ahead of the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Akanji who joined the Italian giants after a highly successful three seasons stint with Manchester City has 73 caps for Switzerland at senior level, after progressing from their youth teams.
He was eligible to play for Nigeria before making his senior international bow for Switzerland in 2017. He however still carry a tattoo of the logo of the Super Eagles of Nigeria on his arm.
“This is the eagle, from the Nigerian national team, with the football under it. It’s something I carry with me,” he explained.
Akanji went forward to explain why he decided to play for Switzerland despite his proud Nigerian background and heritage.
“Obviously, I play for the Swiss national team, but I’m still really proud of being Nigerian. I could only make one decision, but they are still with me all the way. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to Nigeria. It’s hard for me to go back because I don’t have a break in the winter, and summer is the rainy season, so you never really know what you’re going to get, but when I was young, I went there three or four times.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
