'Too autocratic' — Rohr's aide blames Amaju Pinnick for Nigeria losing Saka, Eze others to England

Despite the commitments of players like Ademola Lookman, Cyriel Dessers, Leon Balogun, and William Troost-Ekong to Nigeria, the country's efforts to convince other eligible players have fallen short.

While some Nigeria-eligible players have openly expressed interest in representing their parental heritage, others remain hesitant and require significant persuasion.

Securing top-tier players of Nigerian descent to switch allegiance has become increasingly challenging. Players like Tammy Abraham, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka have all opted for the Three Lions of England.

Others like Destiny Udogie and Michael Olise seem to be leaning towards Italy and France respectively.

In a conversation with OwnGoalNigeria, an aide to former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who spoke anonymously, attributed the trend to the approach adopted by former NFF chief Amaju Pinnick.

"The approach we used to have been more effective. We might have had a better chance with players like Saka, Oliseh, and Fikayo Tomori, but Pinnick's method was too autocratic.

"They likely observed the situation with Abraham and the media and became cautious about discussions involving nationality switches. Pinnick shared images with Eze during negotiations, which only added pressure from family, friends, the press, and agents," the aide explained.