Casey and Ezenwata will have to undergo Fifa switch having played for England U19

NIGERIA-eligible strikers Benjamin Casey and Chizaram Ezenwata will now have to undergo official switches through Fifa if they opt to play for the Super Eagles at senior level having both featured for the England U19 team.

Casey, 18, a highly rated forward, was a late call-up to the Young Lions squad for the first qualifying round of the 2027 European U19 Championship. Last Wednesday, he was introduced off the bench in the 77th minute during the 4-1 win over Bulgaria, coming on for the much vaunted Chelsea striker Ezenwata.

Both players were born in England to Nigerian parents, making them eligible to represent both countries.  Previously, Casey had featured for the England U16s and U18s teams but since those appearances were in friendly matches, he did not require Fifa's approval to switch his international allegiance.

Ezenwata, 17, had actually once been invited to the Flying Eagles camp but did not get to see any action and was not capped. With both players featuring for England at the ongoing European championships taking place in Hungary, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) now has an almighty fight on its hands to secure their services.

Having said that, both Ademola Lookman and Ola Aina played competitive matches for England U19s before successfully applying to Fifa for a one-time change of association. On the other hand, the NFF missed out in the race for Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who opted for England and France respectively.