Nigerian dad responds to Okoli’s Italy call-up; Lookman unsuccessful

Posted : 03 September 2024

The Italian Football Federation has taken significant steps to secure Leicester City central defender Caleb Okoli for their national team. Manager Luciano Spalletti has included Okoli in a 23-man squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against France and Israel, indicating a strong intention to cap-tie him. If Okoli makes his senior debut during the international break in September, he will be officially committed to Italy.

Despite Okoli’s eligibility to play for Nigeria through his parents, Paul and Tina Okoli, who moved to Italy in 1996, he has been associated with Italy since he played in a European U19 Championship qualifier against Malta in November 2019. This match made him provisionally cap-tied to the Italian national team.

During his time with the Nigeria national team, former coach Jose Peseiro showed interest in Okoli. Peseiro even assigned Ademola Lookman the task of persuading Okoli to choose Nigeria over Italy. However, Lookman’s efforts have not been successful in changing Okoli's international allegiance, as the defender has continued to represent Italy and recently trained at the Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano.

Okoli has previously participated in two training camps with Italy under former coach Roberto Mancini in January and May 2022. These experiences have solidified his connection with the Italian squad and further reduced the likelihood of a switch to Nigeria.

Paul Okoli has expressed his excitement about his son's potential debut for the Italian national team. He confirmed that he and his family would be fully supportive if Caleb gets the chance to play. Paul shared their reaction upon learning of Caleb’s call-up, which was through a newspaper, and expressed their happiness about the opportunity.

Although Caleb Okoli was born in Vicenza and raised in Italy, he could not debut for the Italian youth teams until he was officially recognized as an Italian citizen at age 18. He explained that this process is in accordance with Italian law and respects the country's legal requirements, noting that other countries have different paths to citizenship.

The Italian Football Federation has already secured commitments from Napoli midfielder Michael Folorunsho and Tottenham Hotspur fullback Destiny Udogie. Caleb Okoli is expected to follow in their footsteps, further consolidating Italy's efforts to strengthen their squad with dual-national players.

Nigerian dad responds to Okoli’s Italy call-up; Lookman unsuccessful

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