Crystal Palace's Deborah Omo-Osoba indicates she will be happy to play for Nigeria

NIGERIA-eligible Crystal Palace central defender Deborah Omo-Osoba has indicated that she is willing to commit her international future to the Super Falcons despite the fact that she is qualified to play for England.

Omo-Osoba, 17, is a versatile defender who is comfortable playing across the back line in a number of formations. She currently plays for Crystal Palace's U18 team and believes she has all the qualities needed to strengthen the Falconets squad ahead of their possible participation at next year's Fifa U20 Women's World Cup.

Having dual nationality, Omo-Osoba qualifies to play for the Super Falcons through her parents as well as for England but she is hoping to get a call-up to the Nigeria set-up. There has been a rise in promising female footballers born abroad declaring their intention to play international football for Nigeria after the Super Falcons' outstanding performance at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, where they held eventual finalists England to a goalless draw, before losing on penalties.

Recently, former Liverpool winger Rinsola Babajide switched her nationality to Nigeria from England and recently made her competitive debut in a Paris 2024 Olympic games qualifier against Ethiopia. Also, the Nigeria Football Federation us keeping tabs on Brighton & Hove goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor and Arsenal midfielder Omotara Junaid with a view to a calling both of them up.

At the last World Cup, the Super Falcons had six dual nationals in its squad, including Ashleigh Plumptre, Jennifer Echegini, Ifeoma Onumonu, Michelle Alozie, Toni Payne and Yewande Balogun. This trend is also present in the men's team, as Crystal Palace trio Malcolm Ebiowei, Ademola Ola-Adebomi and Kelvin Agho as well as David Ozoh have all trained with Nigeria's youth teams in the past and are open to playing for the Super Eagles.