Gernot Rohr, the former coach of the Nigerian national football team, has disclosed that it took nearly two years of effort to persuade Ademola Lookman to switch his international allegiance from England to Nigeria.
Lookman, who has emerged as a key player for the Super Eagles and is considered a strong contender for the Africa Player of the Year award, had previously represented England at various youth levels, including winning the U20 World Cup in 2017.
Rohr shared that his efforts began in 2020, but Lookman’s approval to play for Nigeria was only finalized in 2022, after Rohr had already left his position as Nigeria’s coach. Rohr had initially included Lookman in his provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but the final approval came only after the tournament in Cameroon.
Reflecting on the process, Rohr noted, “It started in 2020 and the approval came in 2021 when I was no longer the coach of the team. I listed him in my provisional list for the AFCON, but we were still waiting for approval. It came in 2022 just after the tournament in Cameroon. I am happy with his progress so far even though he scored twice against my team.”
Rohr also mentioned that Lookman had been involved with the senior England setup for some time, which made the transition more complex. Despite the lengthy process, Rohr expressed satisfaction with Lookman’s decision to join Nigeria and his subsequent contributions to the team.
